New Forest teenager from Thorney Hill seriously ill after falling from hotel balcony in Majorca on first family holiday abroad.

A 15-year-old girl from the New Forest who is seriously ill after falling from a hotel balcony in Majorca was on her first ever family holiday abroad.

Teenager Milly Whitlock Doe is from Thorney Hill where a candlelit vigil was held for her last night (Sunday).

It was revealed by a friend of the family that as Milly’s parents had not travelled abroad before, they did not realise they needed travel insurance and are now facing bills of tens of thousands to pay for her hospital treatment.

A JustGiving page has now been set up to help them foot the bills and pay for Milly, who has suffered serious head injuries, to be transferred back to the UK. She was described as “always smiling and fun” before the accident and is said to be a “brilliant horse rider”.

Yesterday, nearly £7,000 of a £20,000 target had been raised for the youngster, who was taken to Son Espases in Palma after emergency services were called to S’Illot around 9.30pm on Tuesday.

Friend Erica Arnold, who set the fundraising page up, revealed: “This family went on their first-ever holiday abroad with their four children for a week last Monday.

“On Tuesday, tragedy struck when their oldest child, a fifteen-year-old girl, fell off the hotel balcony. She sustained severe head and other injuries and after being stabilised, was taken by ambulance to Son Espases Hospital, Palma, where she is expected to remain for eight weeks until she is well enough to be flown back to the U.K.

“At present, she is critical, on life support and in an induced coma. She has had two brain surgeries and will need two more, spinal surgery and other surgery. Once back in the U.K, she will need further medical intervention.”

Villagers where Milly lives have rallied round to help the family, including arranging fundraising events and the prayer vigil which was held at All Saints Church. A message on the church’s Facebook page said: “Many people in Bransgore and Thorney Hill will be praying, as we are, for Milly. We’re opening All Saints Church in Thorney Hill for prayers and a chance to light a candle tonight [Sunday 1st] at 7.30. Please come along. If you don’t know what to pray, this prayer may be helpful. Milly is a local teenager fighting for her life after a serious accident abroad.”

Erica said the hospital looking after Milly has been “amazing” and has an outstanding neurological unit that is used to dealing with traumatic head injuries similar to Milly's.

“She is in the best possible place, receiving exceptional care,” she said.

Milly’s parents are looking for accommodation near to the hospital, and according to Erica they were “struggling with the language barrier” when communicating with medical staff treating their daughter.

She said: “As you can imagine, this is somewhere the family has never travelled to before; everything is new and confusing, and there is tremendous worry about their daughter.

“The language barrier makes the simplest of things difficult, especially as all their time and thoughts are currently with their daughter. They also have limited finances.

“However, they don't have any additional funds, and they were only supposed to be away for one week. Unfortunately, the family did not take out any holiday insurance due to being new to foreign travel.”

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