Body
It was just another carefree summer afternoon ¡ until it wasn¡¯t.
Kori and Greg, North Carolina residents, got a call that no parents ever want to receive: Their 15-year-old daughter, Jasper, had fallen 40 feet during climbing camp in a small Virginia town.
¡°I could sense urgency and panic in the voice of the person who told me,¡± said Greg. ¡°I knew it was pretty bad, and I asked that he try to keep her conscious.¡±
Transport to the trauma center became a four-hour ordeal. After being packaged at the site of the fall, Jasper was carried a mile out to a waiting ambulance. Then, she was driven to a landing area for the helicopter ride to the trauma center.
A Prognosis of Permanent Paralysis
Jasper, an avid and experienced climber, had shattered both ankles and wrists, and had sustained severe injury to a large section of her spine. She went through three major surgeries in the first 24 hours. ¡°When the neurosurgeon came out, he told us she would never walk again,¡± said Greg.
Jasper was in acute care, much of it in the ICU, for a month and a half. She was healing, but still not allowed to put any weight on her legs and feet. ¡°They told us we¡¯d have to take her home because she no longer qualified for acute care,¡± said Greg. He and Kori began researching rehabilitation facilities. ¡°Because Jasper didn¡¯t have weight-bearing status, we were turned down by 16 or 17.¡±
¡°Shirley Ryan ³Ô¹ÏÌìÌÃ91 popped up early and often as the premier facility for Jasper¡¯s type of injury,¡± he said. ¡°The people we spoke with there were intrigued, not daunted, by Jasper¡¯s unique challenges. They wanted to try to help her. They also sent a representative to Jasper¡¯s bedside to discuss what we needed and what they could offer. The personal interaction told us a lot about the type of care Jasper would get.¡±
Intensive Therapy to Meet Evolving Needs
In early August, Jasper was air-lifted to Shirley Ryan ³Ô¹ÏÌìÌÃ91 and began with two weeks of intensive inpatient therapy. ¡°The hospital felt like a spaceship,¡± she said. ¡°Huge, colorful, cool equipment. I thought, ¡®I got this, and these people are here to help me.¡¯¡±
Despite not having weight-bearing clearance, her multidisciplinary clinical team wasted no time. During three daily therapy sessions, they focused on two major areas: core strength and everyday activities that she would need to be able to do without standing.
¡°At first, sitting up made me feel like I was going to pass out,¡± Jasper said. ¡°From there, I learned how to get dressed, transfer into and out of a wheelchair, a bed, chair and car. In OT, I worked on pinching and grabbing.¡±
She was healing faster than expected. ¡°Jasper has always been an athlete; her fitness and determination were huge advantages,¡± said Kori.
Just three and a half months after her injury, Jasper transitioned into Shirley Ryan ³Ô¹ÏÌìÌÃ91 DayRehab, which involves half- or full-day outpatient therapy sessions. She finally got clearance to try bearing weight. ¡°On that first day, I stood up!¡± said Jasper.
¡°Everyone was cheering, hugging and crying,¡± Kori said. ¡°That sense of community makes Shirley Ryan ³Ô¹ÏÌìÌÃ91 special. Our hearts overflow with gratitude for this place.¡±
¡°Not too long after, I was walking, doing stairs,¡± said Jasper. ¡°Today, I walked 40 minutes on the treadmill, practiced on a balance beam and worked on heel-toe stepping. It¡¯s wild.¡±
Looking Ahead
Jasper was able to get home to North Carolina for Christmas. There, she continues outpatient therapy.
She says she¡¯s only looking forward. ¡°One of my big goals is to be able to do whatever I want and not have my injuries stop me ¡ª soccer, swimming ¡ just regain that ability and confidence.¡±
She¡¯s also considering becoming a physical therapist. ¡°I¡¯m so grateful to my therapists; they changed my life,¡± she said. ¡°I really like the idea that I could do that for someone else.¡±
