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A young woman given a 2% chance of survival following a horror crash on the M2 has defeated the odds to battle through a year of hell.
University of Kent student Macy Window was just 19 when her car aquaplaned off the motorway between Faversham and Sittingbourne and smashed into a tree.
Now just a fortnight from her 21st birthday, horse lover Macy remains in King’s Collage Hospital in London having suffered life-changing injuries - including brain damage as a result of four strokes.
But in the coming weeks, it is hoped she can be moved to a specialist rehabilitation centre where she can continue her long road to recovery.
One of her main goals is to get back in the saddle and ride her beloved horse Eddie, who staff at Dragon Oak Equestrian in Chartham Hatch have been caring for throughout the past year.
Macy’s life changed in a matter of seconds as she headed along the M2 from Canterbury to Essex last June.
A torrential downpour suddenly hit and driving conditions were treacherous, causing her Citroen C1 to aquaplane - where surface water prevents tyres from gripping the road - and crash into a tree off the carriageway.
Such was the severity of the collision, it took emergency crews more than three hours just to free Macy from the wreckage before she was taken by air ambulance to the capital.
Fourteen hours of life-saving surgery followed as medics battled to keep her alive, and the following day, she was again rushed back into theatre for a further 10 hours of surgery.
Macy was put in an induced coma for six weeks and faced a string of subsequent hurdles, which she has overcome.
Now, almost exactly a year since the crash, the aspiring English teacher looks set to move from King’s to a rehabilitation centre, where a three-month stay costs about £150,000.
To help pay the fees, Macy’s family and friends have been holding fundraising events.
Friend Sarah Court, who runs Dragon Oak Equestrian, had grown close to Macy when she helped out at the livery.
She said: “Macy is such a fighter and has never given up no matter what’s been thrown at her - it’s been amazing as she really shouldn’t be alive.
“Doctors said she had just a 2% chance of survival when she arrived.
“She’s never going to be the same and life has dramatically changed, but obviously she and her family are adapting. Macy lives for her horse and would love to ride him once again.
“She’s such a bright-eyed lovely girl who had her whole life ahead of her. To have that all change through no fault of her own is heartbreaking.
“Hardly anyone will know what to do when your car aquaplanes, you just can’t stop it.”
In setting up a JustGiving page for the Canterbury student, sister Hattie Window said: “No words can really describe the impact this has had on our family, so much has changed but we are so grateful to have our miracle Macy still with us.
Hattie Window says it's been a difficult year for their family.
“Throughout this whole experience, Macy has been our reason to keep going and given us the strength to get through it.
“Anyone that knows her will be able to agree that she really is the most inspiring, caring and loving person you will ever meet and she definitely makes you feel at home whenever you’re with her.”
“Before the accident Macy was a fun loving 19-year-old who had just started to experience life as an adult at university. She had her whole future planned out but would never take life so seriously, always finding time for parties and her pony Eddie.”
Friends and family this weekend completed the Three Peaks Challenge, raising more than £3,000, and on July 30, Dragon Oak Equestrian will be hosting a £10 evening for horse enthusiasts to hear from an expert in horse dentistry. There will also be a raffle prize draw, for which donating businesses are still being sought. Those interested should visit the equestrian centre’s Facebook page
Sarah Court says they've had a lot of support from the local community.
