These are the horrific injuries a teenage girl suffered after a quad biking accident in Dubai left her worried she would be paralysed.

Millie Essam, 19, was riding across the sand dunes with her mum and sister during the third day of a family holiday when their fun in the sun was brought to a sudden halt.

Thurrock Gazette:

X-ray - the scan revealed she had suffered a fractured spine as well as third degree burns from the heat of the engine

Thurrock Gazette:

The teenager, who was on the middle quad bike between her mum and sister, flew over the handlebars after her wheel sunk in the sand and she was crushed by the vehicle when it landed on top of her.

She was rushed to hospital where X-rays revealed she had suffered a fractured spine as well as third degree burns from the heat of the engine.

To add to their distress, although the family, from Essex, had purchased insurance, they were slapped with a £6,000 medical bill because the circumstances "didn't meet the criteria to be covered".

Millie had been on holiday with her family - mum Caroline Poole, Caroline's partner Paul Smith and her siblings, Freya, 17, and Harry, 16.

They went on a desert safari on July 4 and were offered the opportunity to go quad biking.

Her mum Caroline said: "We thought we'd try it, we can all drive cars so we didn't see any dangers.

"Millie was in the middle of us when she went up a sand dune and came back down the other side. She went over the quad bike and she landed on her head and her back bent the wrong way.

"The quad bike landed on top of her and I just thought that was it. I thought my little girl was finished.

"When I got over to her, I pulled the quad bike up and she was catching her breath.

"We had to get her off the sand, it was 45 degrees but it felt even hotter."

At this point Millie thought she could be paralysed because she knew there was an "issue with her spine".

Millie said: "I told my mum: 'I don’t want to be paralysed, mum I’m scared!"

She was rushed to hospital in the city of Sharjah and was transferred to the ICU unit where she remained for 24 hours.

X-rays revealed the teenager had fractured her spine, cracked her ribs and even suffered third degree burns from the heat of the engine and the hot sand.

Her mum added: "It was quite traumatic because the rest of the family were still in Dubai while we were at the hospital."

Millie was transferred to an orthopedic and spinal hospital back in Dubai where she was kept in a back brace before she started physiotherapy.

Once stable, Millie flew back to the UK on July 9; however, the journey home was anything but easy.

Caroline said: "I had to upgrade our flight from economy to first class because she wouldn't have been able to fit in economy. She had to lie completely flat."

The teenager was taken to Broomfield Hospital in Chelmsford, Essex until she was allowed back home on Friday (12 July).

Although Millie is facing a long recovery, her mum has said she has remained positive.

Caroline said: "She's a very fit and healthy young lady who worked and just loved life. We're lucky we had youth on our side.

"She's so positive but you've have got to realise she has limits.

"Seeing my daughter lying in ICU and seeing her now as she stands up and tries to move about is just amazing. The hospital staff have been fantastic."

Millie added: "I'm determined to turn this around and make a full recovery."

The teenager is set to make a full recovery- though doctors have warned it could take up to three months.

She recently graduated from Writtle College University with a triple distinction in Sports and Science and had just started work as a waitress when the incident happened.

Following the incident, Caroline is warning holiday-goers to know what they are being insured for before jumping on the plane.

She added: "The insurance company regarded quad biking as an extreme sport so we weren't covered. We had no idea."

A Go Fund Me page was set up by Millie's friend Jenna Dinnes in a bid to raise money for the family.

In less than a week, over £800 has been raised so far against a target of £5,000, to put towards the medical bills.

To donate visit: https://www.gofundme.com/Millie-accident-cover