People go to amusement parks to have fun. At the end of the visit, people are supposed to leave exhausted after a full day of excitement and thrills. Children should leave with great memories of the fun they shared with friends and family. Unfortunately, this was not how things turned out for one Florida girl the summer of 2010 during her visit to an amusement park in the Wisconsin Dells.
The then 12-year-old girl sustained serious injuries including those to her spinal cord, when the supervisor of the ride indicated she should jump before the safety net was in place. As a result, instead of falling into the net designed to safely catch riders, she slammed into the ground 100 feet below.
The original prognosis was not good. In addition to multiple fractures of her pelvis and spine, her brain swelled. She also lacerated her spleen, liver and intestines. There were fears that she would be paralyzed. Thankfully, rather than being severed, her spinal cord was stretched.
A year later she has a trachea and speaks with the aid of a special device. She is attending school online and doing physical therapy. Miraculously, with the assistance of a walker, she is able to walk.
Though the operator of the ride entered a plea for reckless injury, he did not serve time in jail. A settlement, the details of which have not been released, was reached with the amusement park last fall.
Even if one does not suffer paralysis, damage to the spinal cord can drastically change the injured person’s life. After sustaining such a severe injury it is important to focus on healing and holding responsible parties accountable for the negligence that caused the injury.
Source:Channel3000.com: “Girl Injured At Dells Park Speaks Out Year Later,” Aug. 4, 2011