Clark Couple Suffer Freak Accident On Honeymoon

CLARK, NJ — A community is gathering together to help a Clark couple after a freak zip lining accident on their honeymoon almost left the wife paralyzed.

Newlyweds Marissa (Caradonna) and Justin Gerardo of Clark were on their honeymoon in Sweden when things turned tragic on Sept. 3. The couple took part in a zip line activity ran by their hotel. During it, Marissa began feeling unsafe and uncomfortable and asked to be brought down.

While trying to take her down, her safety rope snapped, causing her to fall about 40 feet nearly paralyzing her. She broke her left fibula, tore the ligaments in her ankle, and broke two of her lower vertebrae, according to a GoFundme set up for the newlyweds.

Marissa was airlifted to two different hospitals where she underwent two extensive surgeries and was finally able to walk again after five days. In order to get back home safely she was advised by a doctor to take a private plane so that she could lie down to keep pressure off her back.

The hotel and insurance company refused to pay to transport Marissa and her family home and she will need to find local doctors to continue her care and perform an additional surgery at an added out-of-pocket expense, according to the GoFundMe site.

"Besides everything else going on, Marissa just got a new job teaching at a local university, a lifelong dream of hers, but she is now unable to continue due to her injuries. She had also started her own gourmet organic popcorn business (Cara Poppa’s) this year which is now on hold, with orders that she will be unable to fulfill causing a loss of income," said Hanan Aly, a friend of the Clark couple. "Her husband Justin also owns his own athletic training facility and has lost income, due to spending time at home caring for his new bride."

Marissa is currently unable to drive, and likely won’t be cleared to do so for several months, forcing her to rely on others for travel, Aly added.

Aly set up the GoFundMe site to help the couple with the mounting expenses related to the accident. along with the monetary donations, a great amount of Justin’s clients have set up a meal train program that delivers meals to the couple every night for the rest of the month.

Aly's business, Eclipse Cryo Float has also offered Marissa complimentary cryotherapy and float therapy to help assist in her recovery.

Click here to donate or to learn more about the fundraiser.

(Images via GoFundMe, a promotional partner of Patch)

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