A YOUNG woman who spent six weeks fighting for her life in a coma has celebrated her 21st birthday.

Nearly eight months after Samantha Fisher suffered near-fatal head injuries in a moped accident in Gibraltar, she is finally learning to enjoy herself again.

And on Friday dozens of friends and family laid on a surprise bash for a birthday many thought she might never see.

She was picked up from the home she shares with her parents at Crossley Crescent, Hoole, in a stretch limousine and whisked away to a Las Vegas-themed party at the County Officers club on Plas Newton Lane.

Mum Christine Fisher was gushing with pride for her brave daughter.

She said: “Sam’s done exceptionally well. She underwent major surgery again about three weeks ago.

“They removed practically the whole of the right side of her skull in Gibraltar and part of her brain.

“If they hadn’t removed the skull she wouldn’t have survived.

“She lost the facial nerves – they died due to the fracture. It had to regrow.

“We don’t know whether it will get completely better but time is a healer.

“She is back to smiling and wanting to enjoy herself.”

The moped Samantha and her boyfried, Craig Pejic, were riding swerved to avoid a pothole in the road sending them both tumbling off the vehicle.

They were returning from a muchanticipated trip to see the Rock of Gibraltar monkeys when tragedy struck.

Samantha now suffers from Bell’s Palsy, meaning one side of her face is paralysed.

She is still receiving physio and attending appointments at the neurological centre in Walton, Liverpool.

Mum Christine added: “She doesn’t like to talk about her accident at all.”

“She doesn’t remember the month she spent in hospital in Spain or the first two weeks at the Countess.”

Samantha cannot remember being airlifted from a hospital in Cadiz, Spain back to be treated at the Countess.

“We flew home but she doesn’t remember the flight,” added Christine.

“She asked where her brother had been and he had been with us in Spain.

“She has a slight weakness to her left side.

“She wants to be out there and put it behind her, but it’s hard.”