SoCal nurse says she’s recovering from bizarre spinal cord injury suffered on trip to Costa Rice
‘I am sure I can conquer’; SoCal nurse says she will recover from bizarre spinal cord injury during her trip to Costa Rica
- Deanne Niedziela is recovering from a spinal cord injury sustained in Costa Rica
- Niedziela was injured during a waterfall hike over Memorial Day weekend
- She is the chief nurse at the Spine & Neuroscience Institute at Providence Mission Hospital in Laguna Beach, California
The Southern California nurse who suffered a traumatic spinal cord injury during a trip to Costa Rica says she feels good about her chances of recovery.
Deanne Niedziela was crushed to death over Memorial Day weekend when a five-foot-tall tree branch fell on her while she and husband Ken Niedzela were out for a walk.
Deanne, the nursing director of Providence Mission Hospital in Southern California, was welcomed home this weekend.
The woman arrived in Providence to dozens of staff who lined the corridor to offer her love and support as she now takes on the task of recovering.
“I know I have a good team here and my injuries… I’m confident I can overcome them, at least to a point where I can come back,” Deanne said.
Deanne Niedziela, the Southern California nurse who suffered a traumatic spinal cord injury during a trip to Costa Rica, says she feels good about her chances of recovery
Niedziela was seriously injured after being hit by a falling tree branch while hiking in Costa Rica with her husband. The photo was taken minutes before the accident
“I know I have a good team here and my injuries… I am confident that I can overcome them, at least to a point where I can come back,” Deanne told ABC 7 Los Angeles
The couple was on a group outing to the La Paz Waterfall Gardens when a “big” tree branch cracked and fell about 100 feet, Ken said.
“Suddenly I heard a huge bang,” her husband shared with ABC7. “It was like a clap of thunder or clap of thunder.”
“This thing hit the ground with a thump… was stunned for a moment. What is this? And I looked over and saw Deanne lying on the floor,” Ken continued.
“I was only a few feet behind her and somehow didn’t get hit,” he added.
In Costa Rica, Deanne underwent nine hours of surgery for her spinal cord injury.
a GoFundMe started for the nurse to help her get home from Costa Rica has raised more than $180,000 of the $250,000 goal.
The woman’s family said air transportation alone was estimated at $100,000. That’s in addition to other medical expenses.
In an update, Deanne’s friends shared Saturday night that she had come home after “a long day of ambulance rides and air travel.”
Doctors at Providence Mission Hospital say they plan to treat Deanne for several weeks until she begins rehab for her traumatic injuries.
The nurse said she hopes and plans to make a full recovery.
“Suddenly I heard a huge bang,” her husband shared with ABC7. “It was like a clap of thunder or clap of thunder.” Pictured: The tree branch that fell on Deanne
In an update, Deanne’s friends shared Saturday night that she had come home after “a long day of ambulance rides and air travel.” Deanne with two colleagues
A GoFundMe started for Deanne has raised $180,000
“The outpouring of the community of people I don’t even know and a lot of people I do know, it was just tremendously overwhelming,” said Deanne
La Paz Waterfall Gardens in Vara Blanca, Costa Rica, where Deanne was injured
According to ABC7, staff were able to coordinate Deanne’s return with the money raised through GoFundMe.
Her family hopes to send her to a drug rehabilitation center in Colorado with other money.
Meanwhile, Deanne told the outlet that she’s thankful she’s alive and has a support system.
“The outpouring of the community of people I don’t even know and a lot of people I do know, it was just tremendously overwhelming,” she said.
Deanne has been chief nurse at the Spine & Neuroscience Institute in Laguna Beach for 30 years.