SQ321 turbulence: Malaysian woman, 23, walks again after suffering fractured spine

Six months after her spine was fractured in the SQ321 turbulence incident, one Malaysian passenger is getting back on her feet.

23-year-old Hong Manying told Shin Min Daily News on Wednesday (Nov 27) that she was flying home from London to celebrate her mother's birthday in May.

The Singapore-bound plane, however, encountered severe turbulence while flying over Myanmar.

Hong was flung out from her seat.

Recalling the incident, Hong said she hit her head on the overhead compartment before she fell to the ground. 

"I was terrified, but I tried to remain calm. My entire body was in pain but I told myself not to move to avoid further injury," she added. 

This caused her to suffer a spinal fracture which nearly left her paralysed.

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The young woman was taken to a hospital in Bangkok where she received treatment for her head injury and underwent spine surgery. 

While the surgery was successful, Hong was unable to move at first.

"I had to breathe very carefully, and had to rely on someone to take me to the toilet," she said.

"I felt very embarrassed asking the doctors and nurses for help, so I kept apologising to them." 

According to Hong, Singapore Airlines covered her medical expenses while she was hospitalised, and also paid for her parents' stay in Bangkok. 

Her parents flew to Bangkok the day after the accident, and stayed in a nearby hotel for two months while she recovered in hospital.

Since then, Hong has been recovering well and is able to manage her daily activities. She also goes for rehabilitation every week. 

Hong, however, made the decision to defer her studies in London for a year. She intends to go back to university in September next year. 

Besides focusing on her recovery, she also has to overcome her fear of flying after the incident. 

"I don't dare to fly now, but it's something I'll have to overcome, so maybe I'll start by taking short flights," she said. 

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claudiatan@asiaone.com