The Ride of Her Life: A Trauma Survivor's Journey Back from Paralysis

HACKENSACK, NJ – A year after a catastrophic fall from a horse left her paralyzed, professional trainer Jennifer Rudolph, to a standing ovation, walked to the podium at Hackensack University Medical Center's (HUMC) Trauma Survivor's Event last week to share a few words. The event, which took place on National Trauma Survivors Day, was a celebration of resilience, and Jennifer's short walk, which she worked so hard to accomplish, was a testament to her incredible journey. Click the image below to see a video of this moving moment as her friends, family, and the HUMC team who saved her life watched on.

For Jennifer, a life without horses is unimaginable. A professional trainer who has been riding since she was five years old, her world revolved around the barn and the riding ring. But one year ago, that world came to a devastating halt. A catastrophic fall from a horse left her paralyzed on the ground, her body feeling as if it had melted. In that terrifying moment, far from home and unable to move, a new and arduous journey began.

"Don't close my eyes, don't close my eyes," she repeated to herself, fighting to stay conscious.

Far from her home on Long Island, Jennifer was fortunate to be close to Hackensack University Medical Center (HUMC), a Level 1 Trauma Center. Upon her arrival, a team was waiting. "I remember people running around," she recalls. An MRI revealed a severe spinal cord compression requiring immediate surgery. Dr. Hooman Azmi, a neurosurgeon at HUMC, was direct: "You need surgery right now." With no time to waste and her family not yet by her side, Jennifer put her trust in him. "He saved my life," she says today.

The intricate surgery, a decompression from C3 to C6 and the insertion of rods along her spine, was a success. The quick action to relieve the compression gave her a fighting chance to walk again. After 10 days in the ICU at HUMC, where she remembers the "amazing" nurses, Jennifer was transferred to a specialized rehabilitation facility.

Her journey was arduous. Arriving on a stretcher, with only the ability to move her head, she was determined. In rehab, she was placed in a harness and, with the help of five people, began the slow process of learning to walk again. "They told her, the earlier you walk the better the chances of walking in the future," her family recalls. Occupational therapy worked on restoring movement to her hands and arms.

Now, a year after the accident, Jennifer is walking with the aid of a walker and has regained enough movement to scratch her own face. While she still requires a caregiver, her progress is nothing short of remarkable. The question of whether she will ride again remains, but her love for horses is undiminished.

Last night's event was a chance for survivors, like Jennifer and many others, to reconnect with the doctors, nurses, and other trauma team members who cared for them. For the new Chief of Trauma at HUMC, Dr. Charles Adams, Jr., it was a profoundly meaningful occasion. "These are tough cases for everyone involved," he says. "When our patients come back, walking and sharing their stories of recovery, it's an incredible and deeply moving experience for the entire trauma team. It’s a powerful reminder of why we do what we do."

The Trauma Survivor's Event at HUMC was a testament to the strength of the human spirit and the life-saving work of the HUMC Trauma Team.

Video of the event is also available here.