Miraculous recovery: Teenager ‘broken in half’ in horror fall from horse walks out of hospital

The 13yo had her spine severed and was told she might never walk again

Aliza Rae AliKhan being treated in hospital (PA Media)

A teenage girl who suffered a severe spinal injury after falling from her horse, and was initially told she might never walk again, has defied the odds with a remarkable recovery.

Aliza Rae AliKhan, 13, walked out of Southampton Children’s Hospital (SCH) unaided just seven months after the accident that left her "broken in half".

The incident occurred in August 2024 when Aliza Rae's horse was spooked and fell on top of her.

She was rushed into emergency spinal surgery, and doctors warned her parents "to prepare for the worst" given the severity of her injuries.

Consultant spinal surgeon Evan Davies said the complex emergency operation involved stabilising Aliza Rae's spine with metal rods and removing fractured bone to alleviate pressure on her spinal canal.

Against all odds, Aliza Rae has not only regained her ability to walk but has also returned to school and, remarkably, to riding.

Her recovery has been hailed as "amazing" by medical staff.

Aliza Rae AliKhan (second right) with (left to right) her father Faiysal AliKhan, spinal cord injury nurse specialist Jo Newman, mother Thirza AliKhan and consultant spinal surgeon Evan Davies (PA Media)

Mr Davies said: “When Aliza arrived in the hospital, she was, for use of a better word, broken in half – her top half wasn’t connected to the bottom half.

“I was concerned that the damage had already been done, and my first thought was that this girl might never walk again.”

Aliza’s mother Thirza AliKhan, from Dorset, said: “It was a long day, a day I will never forget. We didn’t know what was going to happen and I suppose it didn’t really hit us until the next morning.

“We just needed to stay positive for the sake of Aliza Rae. She was conscious and she was talking, so we just focused on that and went from there.

“We didn’t know what the future would hold, but we knew we were in the best hands and Aliza Rae just kept focusing on what she could do, not what she couldn’t.”

A further operation was carried out to remove small pieces of bone which were spotted in a follow-up X-ray.

Mr Davies explained: “This was a more complex procedure, as we had to access the spine through her chest and abdomen to remove the damaged vertebrae and insert screws into her bone.

“The vertebrae were then replaced with an expanding cage, to hold the spine in place while it healed.

“The surgery was a success, but we had no idea if this would mean Aliza Rae would ever walk again.”

Aliza Rae was transferred to the paediatric intensive care unit (PICU) where her bespoke rehabilitation regime began within 48 hours of her surgery, led by the Southampton Children’s Integrated Rehabilitation Team (SCIRT).

She left the hospital just after her 13th birthday and returned to Hanford Prep school where she is preparing for upcoming exams and planning a fundraising event for the hospital.

She said: “I want to give something back to everyone that looked after me. I remember being told I might never walk again, but I had this amazing team, my dream team, and they never gave up on me.

“They became like friends, not just doctors and physios. They helped me believe in myself.”

Her mother added: “The team were amazing from day one. Positive, supportive and really connected with Aliza Rae – they had the right balance of pushing her and knowing when it was too much.

“We’ll forever be grateful for everything that everyone at SCH has done for Aliza Rae.”