A TEENAGER who leapt from her first floor bedroom window during a fire at her home has had surgery on an impact fracture on her spine.
Grace Coe, 17, remains in hospital after jumping from a height of about 15ft as fire engulfed the family home in Elm Road, March, last Thursday.
The former Neale-Wade Community College pupil suffered a fractured skull and bleeding on the brain as a result of the fall.
She has had surgery on her spine this week so it can heal without causing more damage.
Grace may remain in Addenbrooke’s Hospital, Cambridge, for a number of months but recognises her immediate family and is talking. She has some feeling in her legs.
A family member said Grace’s progress this week had “given them hope” but it was still “early days”.
The family are still distraught about the incident – which happened while they celebrated daughter Laura Jane’s wedding in Scotland.
The family’s dog of 13 years, a cocker spaniel, died in the fire along with their guinea pigs.
Grace’s father Michael said the tragedy had left the family “devastated beyond belief”.
Mr Coe, who owns a car sales and repair garage next to the house, said Grace – studying childcare at Peterborough Regional College, opted to miss her older sister’s wedding to continue a work experience placement at the town’s All Saints’ Primary school.
Investigations into what caused the fire – which broke out at 6.29am while Grace was the only person in the house – are ongoing.
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