A university student from Aberystwyth is in a coma after a scooter crash during her gap year in India, just days before she was due to return home. Olivia North, 21, sustained severe brain injuries and remains stranded in India, unfit to fly due to the gravity of her condition.
Olivia was two years into her media and communications degree at Goldsmiths, University of London, when she decided to defer her final year and travel. She spent six months working full-time to fund her trip before setting off solo around India.
In May, her father Nic received devastating news that Olivia had been in a catastrophic road accident in southern Goa. She collided with another scooter at 30-40mph and was not wearing a helmet, resulting in a subdural hematoma and a bleed on the brain.
MRI scans revealed serious injuries to her left temporal lobe and cerebellum. She has no memory of her beloved dog Raj or her older brother, believing him to be her uncle. She also suffered a severe facial wound and fractures to her wrist and arm.
Olivia is sleeping 20 hours daily and cannot recall the crash. The police believe she struck a pothole in darkness and lost control. Her lack of a helmet invalidated her travel insurance, leaving her family with over £7,000 in costs so far. A GoFundMe page has been launched to cover mounting expenses.
