Woman left paralysed in sledding accident

Caroline Adams was left paralysed from the waist down after crashing on a sled going down a hill in New Hampshire earlier this month.

Ms Adams, 31, suffered a severe spinal cord injury after swerving to avoid some children walking on the snow-covered slope. After turning the sled, she accidentally hit a jump and went flying eight feet in the air before landing on her back.

“I never saw it coming, I never saw the jump. And I do remember the sky was so blue that day. I had this moment of clarity, time stopped, I am in trouble, and this is not going to end well,” said Ms Adams to CBS Bolton, recalling the moment before the fall.

“I couldn’t feel anything,” she said after the fall. “It doesn’t take a genius to know that you are paralysed.”

Ms Adams took a photo at the top of the slope before she went on the sled. “It’s crazy when you think about it. It’s the last photo of me standing,” she said.

After the accident, Ms Adams was flown by the emergency services to Lahey Hospital, Burlington, where she underwent surgical procedures for nine hours.

She can no longer feel her limbs below her belly button and is wheelchair-bound. Ms Adams is undergoing rehab at the Spaulding Hospital and is determined to walk again. “I like to win, so I will push until I cannot push anymore,” she said.

“I couldn’t believe I went from that morning walking to not walking and I wish I would have appreciated it more. Take the time to appreciate what you have,” she said.

Sledding is among the most dangerous winter activities, according to the Center on Injury Research at Nationwide Children's Hospital in Columbus, Ohio. More than 20,000 children under 19-years-old are treated for sledding injuries on average each year in the US.

“People often think of sledding as a mostly safe winter activity with a low risk of injury. However, a significant number of traumatic brain injuries are related to sledding,” Peter Ehrlich, director of the Mott Pediatric Trauma Center told Michigan Health.

Head injuries and broken bones are among the most common injuries due to sledding accidents. The Nationwide Children's Hospital advises sledders to “always wear a helmet to prevent head injuries. Properly fitted snow sport helmets, multi-sport, and bicycle helmets are good options.”