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.

Not rude at all, just pointing out the obvious really!

I mean sitting on a lilo and getting knocked in with a heavy full arm cast is obviously very dangerous, as a PP pointed out.

So not a good suggestion at all.

Agree with this. Your insurance company will expect you to minimise their liability by cancelling asap and recouping as much as possible from the providers. You can get tax element back from flights , if you cannot rearrange or refund for example. The later you leave it the less flexibility they may offer as they cannot easily resell the seats or accommodation. Have you paid for accommodation in full already?

@BrokenArmworries have you spoken to your insurers as till you have , you won’t know the options

And ideally speak to your doctor as well and see if will write a note. Then you can say to insurers that doctors have advised against travel and have alerted proving this

And I also suggested an inflatable ring. My friend whose son went on holiday with a broken arm did this & it worked. That's where I got the suggestion for my son.

if you can get your money bacl then cancel you say youve all had a holiday already they'll be fine not alot of families get two holidays each summer

Also suggested an inflatable ring. The advice came from a friend whose son broke his arm & had a longer cast.

I was that child but even worse as I had broken my upper arm right by my shoulder and had a full cast around my torso as well as full shoulder and arm. It was very hot and a bit miserable to be honest. I was a voracious reader so my parents bought me lots of books as a treat but it wasn’t super fun. I had 3 brothers and sisters so we still went as it wouldn’t have been fair to cancel for them but in your shoes I would cancel if you can.

An inflatable ring is just as dangerous! What happens if the child falls through it? Gets tipped out of it? They’re then under water, potentially in the deep end with an arm that’s very heavy and can’t be used to assist them.

Please don’t suggest that the child stays in the shallow end, because both the lilo and the ring float and can end up anywhere.

Can’t believe your friend did this and can’t believe the lifeguards allowed it.

I don’t see you having insurance to fall back on unless you’re very lucky.

unless you can get a not fit to fly letter from the hospital it’s your choice.

i did a holiday with an 8yo in a cast and to be fair they loved it still - although it wasn’t the relaxing holiday I had planned for myself and they did have a bit more screen time than I’d usually indulge.

If you go, you should probably check your insurance policy covers her if there were any issues while away. Either way, I guess you need a fit to fly or not fit to fly letter.

I hope she’s not in pain anymore. You sound like a lovely mum so no matter what you do, she’s already in the best hands

What does she want to? Would be pretty crap to be 8 years old and not be able to go in the pool. I would cancel and rebook for next year if it were me

Is still using the flights, but cancelling the waterpark and changing the holiday for an entirely different type of holiday a possibility?

orthopae nurse here. You need to check with your airline. It’s unlikely they will let her fly with a full cast that hasn’t been split. The problem with splitting it is the fracture potentially can become unstable as the cast can work loose. Personally I’d cancel the holiday as she won’t be covered if there were any complications!

There is another thread running at the moment with a lady in the same position with her son. She’s trying to cancel through AXA for the same reasons, might be worth having a read through (sorry I don’t know how to link it). Also contact the hotel directly. You won’t get money back for flights but still might be able to cancel the hotel.

Last year DS2 was 10 and broke his arm badly a few days before we were due to fly. We went anyway. It wasn't just a pool / AI holiday it was reasonably cultured. We are also a family of 4 and had holidayed in May and Easter as well as August but the rest of the family deserved their holiday. It went OK. We coukd have claimed on insurance.

Presumably it would be miserable at home? I'd just go anyway.

Cancel and rebook for October. A full length arm cast will not be enjoyable. I would also not wish to risk any knock or damage setting back her recovery.

DD was in a full length leg cast(groin to toes) following an ankle break and it’s taken 2 years to be discharged fully from her orthopaedic consultant.

They wouldn’t have put her in a full length cast if it was simple. Casts are heavy, itchy and hot 1 would you want to go on a hot pool holiday with that??!!!

I’ve just come back from a water sports resort holiday, and I would 100% cancel in your situation. We spent 6/7 hours a day minimum swimming and sliding and diving etc. I don’t know what we would
have done if either of the kids couldn’t have joined in. Too hot to go for a walk or do much other than be in the pool really. Boring sitting by the side of the pool playing uno for 6 hours! If you have already had a family hols this year I would deffo cancel and have a staycation with some days out instead.

I had similar. I had to cancel without knowing if they would pay out- because they can't guarantee a payout until all the paperwork is in and someone has reviewed it.
I just knew we couldn't travel, and had appointments scheduled during and after the holiday.
Had to pay £49 for a doctor's letter and the excess but did get paid out.

If I could get the money back I’d cancel it and re book for another time.

If not I’d just go and look for other things to do. Where abouts are you going? Maybe someone could help with suggestions.

@BrokenArmworriesshe broke hers on the Friday, we flew on the Monday. Full arm cast. Honestly it was fine! But you know your daughter best.

I broke both arms at the same time high up, so classed as a shoulder break 5 days before I was due to fly, hospital told me I’d be fine to go on holiday and wouldn’t issue me a certificate to say unfit to fly!!
We decided against going because I couldn’t even go to the toilet on my own!!!
Obviously I didn’t have anything from the hospital to say that it’s recommended that I didn’t fly, so I screenshot what the hospital put in my notes that I can access on the my care app, and my insurance company accepted it, money back in the bank 5 days later

Don't cancel until you speak to the insurance company - otherwise you'll have a battle for the money. The doctor will have to confirm they have advised against travel.

I’d cancel this one - it’ll just be stressful for you all. Book for some winter sun in October half term as something to look forward to. Hope DD heals Beth soon.

I wouldn't go under these circumstances, it'll be miserable for your daughter having to watch the other kids on the slides, in the pool, etc. Also for your other DC, who won't have their sibling to have fun with. The insurance company are highly unlikely to pay out if she were to do any further damage or need any treatment whilst there. Rather than cancelling, are you able to change the dates? Maybe go for October half term, or over the Christmas hols?