Daughter broke her arm - due to go on holiday, can I cancel?

[BrokenArmworries]

My DD8 broke her arm this week. Silly accident just in the playground, nobody’s fault. It’s quite a bad break and she has a cast on from her wrist to shoulder, so she can’t bend her arm and it’s in a sling.

we are supposed to be going on holiday next week.. all inclusive, pool and kids water slide park etc. all the things she won’t be able to do.

im gutted for her! She LOVES a pool and all she wants to do on holiday is play in the pool. She won’t be able to go on slides due to the full arm cast. We have a waterproof covering for it, but the whole arm cast makes everything quite tricky for her. She can’t put weight in it (yet).

AIBU to cancel and claim through our travel insurance? I booked the flights and hotel separately, so not a package holiday. Would travel insurance cover this?

she has to go to hospital again next week before we go on holiday to have it x-ray’d again to make sure it’s healing correctly. She will have to have it x-rayd again once we are back. They did want to see whilst we are away but said they could work around our travel dates.

other details - we are a family of 4, I have another DD11.
we have already been on a lovely holiday this summer, so if we didn’t go this time, nobody would feel they are missing out, and we could put the money towards fun things later in the year.

YABU - go on holiday and try to make the most of it.
YANBU - cancel and use the money another time.

My DD only broke it 2 days ago, quite a bad break! it still hurts a lot, she can't pick anything up, she's very wary of anyone touching it.... I highly doubt she'll be kamikazing down the water slides any time soon.
her cast goes all the way to her armpit - looking at it, there's no way an armband would fit over the top - the plaster cast is very bulky.

Wouldn’t be good for her arm to be knocked on a busy packed plane

@BrokenArmworries ask the doctor when you have your fracture clinic appt - be upfront about it and say you don’t think it’ll work taking her. Most of us are fairly reasonable and even if yes technically you can go on a plane etc, are happy to do a not fit to fly letter. Some do charge but most just add it onto your clinic letter which you’ll get a copy of anyway. The most it normally requires of me is to mark it as urgent so it doesn’t take two weeks to get to you.

I would go - different situation, but last year we cancelled due to one dc needing emergency surgery ten days prior. We had the unfit to fly certificate from hospital (surgeon said we could choose whether to use it because dc would be just in the safe to fly timescale) - yet travel insurance wouldn't cover all the costs and we still lost over £600 in flight tax. Plus by the time of the holiday, dc was bored with staying at home, the rest of the family were disappointed too.

Years ago a similar thing happened to us and we cancelled and claimed on our insurance. I have a vague feeling we did need a letter from our doctor which explained DS needed to be seen at fracture clinic the following week. DS did have to have his arm reset under general anaesthetic though (don’t know if that made a difference). We went away in the uk instead to do stuff less water based.

If 8yo isn't fit to fly, can one of you not go with the 11yo, and one stay home with the 8yo?

I’d cancel and/or reschedule the holiday until another time. As you’ve booked separately that might actually be easier if you haven’t yet paid for the hotel? Have you checked their cancellation policy? We just returned from a holiday we put together ourselves and paid the accommodation fees at check-in and could cancel up to 72hrs before arrival with no fees. That would just leave flights to maybe pay for a change of date.

I hope your DD is feeling better soon.

Ask for a waterproof cast

No way would I subject her to a holiday where she has to watch the fun stuff and not be able to join in. Poor kid!

This

I'm really surprised anyone would say you should go and make the best of it and am questioning whether some posters understand the type of cast your daughter has and how big and restrictive it is. It sounds totally miserable for all of you and especially her.

Whether your insurers would let you cancel is another matter, but if they do they should refund all the elements of the cost, it doesn't matter if you booked separately.

Last September my husband broke his wrist a week before our holiday. We went and he hated it. His arm swelled with the heat and he had to have the cast cut. Then it was a nightmare to get home as it turns out you shouldn't really fly with a cast. We spent 3 out of 7 days with hospital visits and getting paperwork completed so we could fly home. He was miserable.

Just been back from a hols with a 13 year old with a broken wrist. At the 2nd appointment he got a lightweight cast put on & with the waterproof cover he could still go in the pool & play with his siblings. You could also take a inflatable ring or lilo for her to sit on.

I would cancel and rebook for when her arm is better.

its not just the wrist, its a full arm cast up to the armpit. I'd imagine it won't be much fun. See what the insurance say, but my dad's partner once fell and broke her hip, and they wouldn't cover the refund for my dad as they deemed him still able to travel, even though you could see the situation and that he'll never leave her.

It’s worth calling your insurance now to understand the options and requirements.

Some may not allow her to travel and force you to cancel. Others may not cover cancelling and so your only option would be to do it at your own cost.

Knowing your options is likely to be helpful.

You could also take a inflatable ring or lilo for her to sit on

That is a really stupid idea. If she was to be knocked over in the pool with a heavy cast on one arm that would be really bad.

What does your daughter want to do?

I’m a doctor and we wouldn’t get involved in whether or not she can fly - you would need to check this with your airline as they all have different rules. Usually a full cast will need to be split before flying.

I would also speak to your insurance company and see if they would cover you to cancel or postpone on the basis that if she has any complications whilst you are away, it could be harder to get help for her. It sounds like a fairly nasty fracture (?supracondylar) and not just a straightforward greenstick/buckle wrist fracture that could be managed with a splint or a lightweight waterproof cast. If you know what your options are, it will be easier to make a decision. If you do go, you need to have notified them of her injury for the cover to be valid, and if you don’t go they will advise on what medical evidence is needed.

She should be getting a follow up appointment in the fracture clinic so you can also talk to them about whether there’s any scope to put a waterproof cast on. It will depend on the type of fracture and how far along the healing process she is.

If you do go, make sure you know what medical facilities are available locally. Chances are she’ll be fine but it’s better to be prepared.

Do not cancel without a definitive conversation with the insurance about what proof they need. There has been a recent thread where the OP cancelled a holiday due to a viral illness but the insurance didn't cough up a penny because they didn't have written medical advice not to travel dated before the departure date.

I am sure you will Be able to cancel and book your holiday again when you can all enjoy it. A full arm cast in the heat when your daughter can’t do any water activities and will be in pain is not a fun holiday for any of you!

Nothing like OPs DD then.

OP, try to cancel and claim on insurance, paddling in the shallow end of the pool would be damn miserable as well. A poor suggestion by a PP.

Can you change the flights or get a ‘credit note’? Ditto accommodation. What is the cancellation policy?

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Speak to your travel insurance to see if you’re covered. If it turns out you’re not and you’d lose the money, you might as well go and make the best of it you can.

How rude, sorry for trying to help. OP if you do decide to go you need to inform your insurance anyway.