A BIKER who suffered near-fatal injuries in a crash five years ago has made a dramatic recovery.

Jennifer Edlington suffered a double broken spine, three fractures to her pelvis, fractured ribs, collar bone and a broken shoulder in the crash in Darwen in September 2012.

She had been taking part in a motorbiking lesson when she lost control of the bike, drove through a fence, veered into a ditch and struck a dry stone wall. Her life was saved by the swift actions of paramedics who called for the North West Air Ambulance to carry her to hospital.

Jennifer, aged 39, from Little Lever, is now climbing Mount Kilimanjaro to raise funds for the air ambulance service that saved her life. She said: “Due to the nature of my injuries – my blood pressure was dropping rapidly, my breathing was laboured and I was going into shock – and the remote location, travel by road would have been very dangerous.

“The air ambulance team arrived in less than 10 minutes and my journey to hospital took less than four minutes. Without this speed I may not have survived, or may have ended up paralysed.

“This rapid response enabled the incredible NHS team of surgeons, doctors, nurses and physiotherapists to have the best chance of putting me back together again.”

When she eventually recovered, Jennifer vowed to raise funds for the North West Air Ambulance as thanks for their life-saving actions. She has so far raised more than £8,000. She flies out to Africa on September 18, a month with special significance for her.

She said: “I turn 40 in September so decided to mark the occasion with my biggest challenge yet – I did a charity walk to Everest Base Camp in 2015 but Kilimanjaro is even higher than that.”

She is conquering the peak in Tanzania, east Africa, with her husband Simon, aged 49. He said: “It was terrifying to think I could have lost Jen in that crash. I couldn’t be prouder of how she’s fought back and is doing these amazing things to raise cash. A lot of people don’t realise that it is a charity, and it costs over £3million each year to keep the three air ambulances in the air. She’s a real inspiration.”

You can donate to Jennifer’s appeal at www.justgiving.com/fundraising/jenkilimanjarotrek