IT is the day her family thought they would never see.

Brave Christina Corp has returned home for the first time since she was critically injured in a car crash six months ago.

The teenager was enjoying settling back into family life, surrounded by her family - dad Danny, mum Jackie and 15-year-old brother Ben - after being allowed out of hospital for just the weekend.

Her friends were also at her house in New Road, Swanmore, to greet her, including Kim Hood, who was also involved in the accident but managed to escape without injury.

On Friday night, as the Daily Echo paid a visit to her home, the battling 17-year-old was enjoying supper in the comfort of her lounge and was looking forward to sleeping in her own bed for the first time since the tragedy that almost claimed her life.

During the rest of the weekend, Christina spent time with some of the many family and friends who have lent their support and prayed for her recovery since the accident on April 2.

She also went to church with her parents and visited her beloved horses Toffee and Sonny - a moment she had dreamt about during the long months spent recovering at a specialist head injuries unit in Bath.

Danny and Jackie had been told that their only daughter had just half an hour to live by doctors who were treating her for serious head and pelvic injuries after the crash on the notorious A32.

The accident happened when a car Christina was travelling in was in collision with a coach carrying 39 schoolchildren.

It claimed the life of her friend and driver of the car, Vicky Waters.

But six months later she has astounded medical experts and is well on her way to a miraculous recovery, able to speak, eat and stand up.

Mum Jackie said: "She came back for a day with an occupational therapist and physio to see how she would manage and it went so well that we can have her home for weekends now.

"This is the first one and we can get her upstairs to sleep in her own room, but in the long term we'll need downstairs facilities.

"It is early days and it will be a long haul but she's got such a determination to get better and see her horses.

"Her last memory is of going to bed in her own bed. She's lost six months of her life. She doesn't remember seeing her friends and going out in the car.

"She accepts she's been in an accident, but it's hard for her to come to terms with it because she doesn't remember."

Jackie added: "Christina is quite incredible and her recovery is a miracle.

"At this stage no one knows what the future holds. She's not ever going to be the person she was again, but that doesn't mean to say she won't be better for it. We all will.

"I believe she will lead a purposeful, fulfilling life. She's got the ability to learn new skills and can retain information, which is a big plus with a brain injury."

Christina is receiving intensive physiotherapy at a head injuries unit in Bath and can walk with help.

Her reading, writing and concentration are improving and her diet is virtually back to normal.

The horse lover has even got back in the saddle with a Riding for the Disabled group and still dreams of becoming a riding teacher.

Tragedy led to safety campaign

TRAGEDY struck on a Friday afternoon in April as the Ford Fiesta Christina was travelling in was in collision with a coach carrying 39 schoolchildren at Mislingford, near Wickham.

Fareham College student, Vicky Waters, 18, the driver of the car, was killed.

The other passenger, teenager Kim Hood, escaped serious injury.

The death of fun-loving Vicky was the third fatality in a year on the road from Fareham to Alton.

Her mother, Jackie Waters, from Wickham, called for safety measures and speed reductions. New warning signs and improved visibility have been introduced following a Daily Echo-backed campaign.

But highways chiefs say they have no plans to change speed restrictions on the road, which has a national speed limit of 60mph.

The A32 was already labelled a casualty route prior to the smash because of high accident statistics.

There have been 151 casualties in three years on the stretch of road which includes the site of the accident at the junction with Bishop's Wood Road.