Chloe Bennett, of Pallion, Sunderland, found herself crippled with pain as she was climbing Annapurna, a series of peaks rising 13,500ft, with a group of 18 students.

The group leader feared for the 19-year-old's life and made an urgent call for medics to take her to hospital with suspected appendicitis.

Chloe, a former Thornhill School pupil, said: "The night we reached base camp I could not stand up with the pain and I had a temperature.

"I was worried because we were so high up at 4,130 metres and there's not a lot you can do that far away from anything."

An emergency helicopter was called and the rescue operation launched with the Sherpas having to cut down the long grass to create a landing pad.

The following day, Chloe and two other girls who had injured their knees were taken on a terrifying hour-and-a-half journey to Kathmandu.

Chloe, an applied psychology Durham University student, said: "When we were flying we saw another helicopter that had crashed while it was rescuing people so that didn't help to calm my nerves.

"I was really upset with the pain and even though I am nearly 20 I really wanted my mam and dad."

Chloe's parents Karen and Geoff Bennett and her sister Charlotte said they were horrified when they heard about Chloe's ordeal.

Karen, 50, a midwife at Sunderland Royal Hospital said: "I was worried sick. Although I had been reassured that her condition was not life-threatening, all I wanted was to hear her voice."

Although doctors suspected Chloe had appendicitis, by the time she reached the hospital the inflammation around her appendix had gone down. She was given a course of antibiotics in Nepal.

The students were on their 40-day trip to raise cash for Future For Nepal, which aims to give children in the country a better education.