Golden Valley Woman Overcomes Paralysis After Horseback Riding Fall
September is Spinal Cord Injury Awareness Month. A remarkable recovery from a spinal cord injury showed what is possible at Courage Kenny Rehabilitation Institute in Golden Valley.
‘I Couldn’t Move My Arms and Legs’
There’s nothing like the bond between a girl and her horse. Jen Kelly can attest to that. She has a lifelong passion for horseback riding that began when she was 8 years old.
“Every Saturday morning, I took a riding lesson and I went on a trail ride. That was the absolute high point of my week every week,” Jen said.
Jen continued her frequent rides into adulthood and eventually got her own horse. One day in September 2020, when she was out horseback riding with a friend, the horse she was riding got spooked. Jen was launched off. She said, at first, she couldn’t tell what had happened.
“What I knew is that I couldn’t move my arms and legs. But, what I didn’t know at this moment is that I had fractured three vertebrae in my neck and crushed my spinal cord,” Jen recalled.
First responders rushed Jen to North Memorial Health Hospital. She had surgeries scheduled right away. There, she learned she was paralyzed from the neck down. She said she got a concussion in the accident as well.
“My questions, of course, were two. First: ‘When can I ride again?’ And the second was: ‘Will I walk again?'” Jen said. “Those were undetermined for awhile.”
She went into her long recovery armed with optimism with a mantra that she will do all she can. Jen said that attitude, along with the support of her loved ones and care team, kept her going.
“It was really important to me to be a good steward of their care and support,” Jen said.
Moving Forward
Shortly after her surgeries, Jen began working with Dr. Mandy DeRasmi at Courage Kenny Rehabilitation Institute in Golden Valley. They’re still working together now.
“She’s put a tremendous amount of work in. Both physical, mental, emotional and legwork,” Dr. DeRasmi said.
Dr. DeRasmi works with Jen to perform adjustments.
Jen underwent therapies in and out of institute. After years of hard work, she was walking again. Of all the recoveries Dr. DeRasmi’s seen, she said Jen’s was remarkable.
“Hers has been exceptional. You know, I have many patients who aren’t able to walk again. So the fact that she’s been able to progress so well has been wonderful to be a part of and watch– but also a little unusual,” Dr. DeRasmi said.
Now, Jen is getting back to what she loves most: caring for and riding her horses.
She’s also out in the community.
“This journey has been a culmination of hundreds of ‘yay moments’ along the way. So each one of those has been a milestone for me,” Jen said.
There’s still work to do and milestones ahead. But for Jen, every step is everything.
Jen takes care of a horse in the stable.
