A 12-year-old British girl who suffered severe birth injuries during delivery has secured nearly $8.5 million in damages, ending a family’s 12-year battle for compensation, The Sun reports.
Birth Injury Settlement Agreed In England
The settlement, announced on July 18, 2018, offers Holly Greenhow and her family a lump sum of $8.42 million (£6.4 million), along with annual payouts up to $261,000. Britain’s National Health Service, the nation’s public health care agency, will pay the settlement.
Holly Greenhow was starved of oxygen for 35 minutes during her birth in November 2005. Born at Hinchingbrooke Hospital near Huntingdon, about 50 miles west of Cambridge, Greenhow soon developed signs of cerebral palsy, a debilitating neuromuscular disorder that can make moving and performing daily activities difficult. Through her mother, Holly sued the hospital for financial damages shortly after her birth.
12-Year Legal Battle Comes To A Close
Today, now 12 years old, Holly Greenhow requires 24-hour care. Speaking after the settlement was announced, Holly’s mother, Fiona, told reporters how “surreal” it feels for the case to finally be over. “It’s a fight that has taken just over 12 years,” Greenhow said, “if you had told me at the beginning it would have taken this long I don’t think I would have believed you.”
Holly has been modeling since she was eight. Featured in ad campaigns for British brands Boden and Tesco, Holly is “a very sociable little girl,” her mother says. “She enjoys being in other people’s company,” Mrs. Greenhow continued, “as it is almost impossible for her to entertain herself.” Holly’s mother is supportive of her modeling career and hopes Holly will be an advocate for models with disabilities.
More Stem Cell Treatments In US Planned Soon
With the new settlement money, Holly’s future care will be well taken care of. “It’s a good feeling to know that the fight is now over,” her mother says, “and that Holly will be financially secure in the future and her brother Oliver will not have to feel responsible to look after her.”
Holly and her family have traveled to the United States for stem cell therapy. They plan to return soon, having seen “positive changes” in the wake of initial treatments.
