Coming back from dark times: Hong surrounded by the medical team who helped her recover from her spinal injury until she is able to stand and walk. — Photos courtesy of China Press
PETALING JAYA: It has been half a year, but Hong Mun Ying is still haunted by the 11km-high nightmare when the plane she was in plunged some 61m (200ft) in extreme and violent turbulence.
A man died, and dozens were injured in the 20-second horror.
Hong was left with spinal injuries, forcing her to take a year off from her studies on nutrition at a British university.
The 23-year-old, who is from Subang Jaya, Selangor, still lives in fear of flying – or even taking the elevator – but she is determined to move on.
Hong was flying back on flight SQ321 from London’s Heathrow Airport to Singapore’s Changi Airport to celebrate her mother’s birthday.
She said she had always been rather anxious when flying and had calmed herself by putting on headphones to listen to music when the incident happened on May 21.
A British passenger died in the turbulence, which shook the plane violently.
Hong was thrown from her seat and slammed onto the floor.
“The extreme pain I felt in that moment was indescribable,” she said when recounting the terrifying turbulence in an exclusive interview with China Press.
“The cabin went dark, and the air was filled with screams and cries. A mother and daughter were lying close to me.
“When they noticed I was struggling to breathe, they tried to pass me an oxygen mask. But since I was on the cabin floor, I couldn’t reach it.”
Hong suffered a complete fracture of her T5-T6 spinal vertebrae.
“Although I was very afraid of dying when I was thrown onto the cabin floor and overwhelmed by intense pain, I was somehow confident that I would survive.
Hong being carried out of the plane after the incident in May. — Photos courtesy of China Press
“I didn’t dare move as I feared that my injuries would get worse,” she added.
Hong saw bloodstains everywhere when she looked up at the luggage compartment above her.
“I didn’t know if it was my blood from hitting my head or someone else’s. All I could do was lie still and wait for help,” she said, adding that a Singaporean passenger covered her with a blanket to keep her warm and held onto her legs tightly during landing.
After the plane made an emergency landing in Bangkok, Hong was rushed to a hospital in the Thai capital.
She was confined to her hospital bed, unable to move for two months, before being allowed to return home to recuperate.
During her stay at the hospital, Hong said although she could move her hands and feet, she needed help even with something as simple as drinking water.
“Because of my spinal injury, I had to breathe carefully. My back became overheated from lying down for so long, so nurses had to lift me with the bedsheet.
“I couldn’t take care of my basic needs, like going to the bathroom,” she added.
Just two months later, she managed to stand and walk. But her severe injuries forced her to take a year off from classes.
She is now focusing on rehabilitation and plans to return to university next September to resume her studies.
However, she is still terrified of boarding a plane, although she did fly home from Bangkok.
Hong said that before being discharged from the hospital, she asked her father to arrange for a vehicle to drive her home from Bangkok.
However, her parents, after considering her injuries and inability to sit for long periods, encouraged her to face her fears and take a flight home.
“It was only after multiple counselling sessions and taking medication that I was finally able to board a plane. With my family accompanying me, I managed to complete the journey home successfully.
“Since I need to return to the UK next year to continue my studies, I must overcome this psychological hurdle.
“After all, I love travelling, and I shouldn’t let one plane incident hold me back,” she said.
