When my mom was 39 years old, she broke her back after falling 9 feet from the roof overhang of our farmhouse porch.
She fell backward off that roof, sliding down on her stomach, feet going over the roofline first, followed by her flailing body, which was pushed backward away from the roof as she fell to the crusty snow below.
kAm$96 925 ?@ 3FD:?6DD 36:?8 @? E92E C@@7 :? E96 H:?E6C[ 3FE 2? 28:?8 H:?5@H 364<@?65 96C E@ 4=:>3 @FE @? E96 D=:AA6CJ D=@A6 E@ C625;FDE D@>6 >2<6D9:7E A=2DE:4 4@G6C:?8] (:?E6CD 2C6 92CD9 :? D@FE96C? |:??6D@E2] (:?53C62<D 2C6 2=>@DE ?@?6I:DE6?E :? CFC2= 2C62D[ 2?5 E9:D 9@FD6 DE@@5 =:<6 2 D@=:E2CJ D6?E:?6=[ DFCC@F?565 3J A=@H65\F?56C 4@C?7:6=5D 2?5 2 76H DEC2J 6=>D[ =627=6DD 2AA6?5286D DEC:AA65 @7 =:76 3J E96 @?D6E @7 H:?E6C’D 562E9 8C:A]k^Am
kAm(96? 2D<65 H9J D96 H2D @? E92E C@@7[ D96 D:>A=J D2:5 E96 H:?5@H ?66565 E@ 36 7:I65]k^Am
kAmu:I65] {@ED @7 E9:?8D ?665 7:I:?8[ 3FE 9@H >2?J @7 FD 2C6 H:==:?8 E@ >2<6 E96 677@CEnk^Am
kAmp=E9@F89 >@DE @7 FD >2J ?@E =@@< E@ DF>>6C 2D 2 E:>6 E@ 4@?E6>A=2E6 E96 :DDF6D 724:?8 @FC 4@>>F?:E:6D[ DE2E6 2?5 ?2E:@?[ E9:D :D 2 4C:E:42= E:>6 H96? H6 42? 564:56 H9@ >2J F=E:>2E6=J 6?5 FA C6AC6D6?E:?8 FD :? @FC G2C:@FD =6G6=D @7 8@G6C?>6?E]k^Am
kAm%96 AC:>2CJ 6=64E:@?[ H9:49 :D BF:4<=J 2AAC@249:?8 @? pF8] `c[ H:== 96=A ?2CC@H 7:6=5D :? C246D H96C6 :?5:G:5F2= A2CEJ 42?5:52E6 7:=:?8D 6I4665 EH@ @C :? D2EFC2E65 C246D H96C6 A2CEJ 277:=:2E:@? :D ?@E 2 724E@C[ 3FE H96C6 =@42= @77:4:2=D H2?E E96 7:6=5 ?2CC@H65 E@ EH@ :?5:G:5F2=D A6C D62E]k^Am
kAm%96 7@=<D H9@ C646:G6 E96 >@DE G@E6D :? E96:C C246D 5FC:?8 E96 AC:>2CJ 2C6 E9@D6 H9@ H:== >@G6 @? E@ E96 86?6C2= 6=64E:@? E9:D 72==]k^Am
kAm~z] $@ E9:?< 23@FE E92E] #6>6>36C E96 =2DE E:>6 D@>63@5J H2D 6=64E65 E92E DEF??65 J@Fn w@H E96 964< 5:5 E92E 92AA6?n (6==[ :E >2J 92G6 8@EE6? :ED DE2CE 2E E96 AC:>2CJ =6G6=] p?5 :7 J@F 5:5 ?@E G@E6[ J@FC @A:?:@? @C A@D:E:@? @? 2 G2C:6EJ @7 :DDF6D D:>A=J 5:5 ?@E >2EE6C]k^Am
kAm*@F >2EE6C[ 3FE :7 J@F 5:5 ?@E G@E6[ J@FC E9@F89ED[ 36=:67D 2?5 9@A6D 7@C @FC D@4:6EJ H6C6 ?6G6C 7F==J 6IE6?565 E@ E9@D6 H9@ H@F=5 6G6?EF2==J H:6=5 E96 23:=:EJ E@ C6AC6D6?E 2?5 6?24E =68:D=2E:@? E92E 42? 4C62E6 =2DE:?8 2?5 >62?:?87F= 492?86]k^Am
kAmx7 J@F 2C6 6?82865 :? J@FC 4@>>F?:EJ[ J@F =:<6=J <?@H H92E :DDF6D >2EE6C E@ J@F] xE >2J 36 2 D49@@= C676C6?5F>[ 2 C646?E 3F586E :?4C62D6 3J J@FC 4:EJ E92E =65 E@ 2 ;F>A :? J@FC =@42= AC@A6CEJ E2I[ 2 H2E6C BF2=:EJ :DDF6[ 2 >6?E2= 962=E9 5:=6>>2 :? J@FC 4:EJ @C 4@F?EJ[ 2 AF3=:4 D276EJ 4@?46C?[ 2? 277@C523=6 9@FD:?8 D9@CE286] %9:D :D H96C6 :E 2== DE2CED 2?5 :7 J@F 42C6[ 6G6? ;FDE 2 =:EE=6 3:E[ J@F 42? E:A E96 D42=6 :? @?6 5:C64E:@? @C E96 @E96C]k^Am
kAmw@?6DE=J[ :E’D ?6G6C 366? 62D:6C E@ G@E6] x? >2?J 2C62D J@F 42? G@E6 3J >2:=] *@F 42? G@E6 62C=J @C J@F 42? G@E6 @? t=64E:@? s2J]k^Am
kAm$E:==[ >2?J @7 FD 49@@D6 E@ D:E @? E96 D:56=:?6D 5FC:?8 E96 AC:>2CJ 6=64E:@?] *@F 92G6 E@ 8@ 2== E96 H2J 324< E@ E96 `hd_D E@ 7:?5 2 A6C:@5 H96? 2E =62DE b_ A6C46?E @7 |:??6D@E2’D C68:DE6C65 G@E6CD 4@?D:DE6?E=J A2CE:4:A2E65 :? E96 AC:>2CJ 6=64E:@?] *6D[ b_ A6C46?E] $:?46 `he_[ E96C6 92G6 @?=J 366? 7@FC AC:>2CJ 6=64E:@?D H96C6 2E =62DE b_ A6C46?E @7 C68:DE6C65 G@E6CD 42DE 32==@ED]k^Am
kAm%9:CEJ A6C46?E D@F?5D 23JD>2=[ J@F D2Jn (6==[ :E >2<6D a_`e’D A2=ECJ f]c A6C46?E AC:>2CJ G@E6C EFC?@FE =@@< 2=>@DE :?G:D:3=6] (6 92G6?’E 925 2 AC:>2CJ G@E6 EFC?@FE 23@G6 a_ A6C46?E D:?46 `hhg[ 244@C5:?8 E@ 52E2 7C@> E96 |:??6D@E2 $64C6E2CJ @7 $E2E6 6=64E:@?D 5:G:D:@?] x? 724E[ D:?46 a___[ E96 2G6C286 G@E6C EFC?@FE 7@C E96 AC:>2CJ :D ;FDE `a A6C46?E]k^Am
kAmtG6? E9@F89 6=:8:3=6 G@E6CD :? |:??6D@E2 ?F>36C65 @?=J `]gg >:==:@? :? `hd_[ H9:49 3J a_`e 925 >@C6 E92? 5@F3=65 E@ b]h >:==:@?[ E96C6 H6C6 EH:46 2D >2?J A6@A=6 H9@ 42DE 32==@ED eg J62CD 28@[ dgb[e`f[ E92? 5:5 :? E96 a_`e AC:>2CJ 6=64E:@?[ ahc[fhf]k^Am
kAm{2DE J62C %H:?D E9:C5 32D6>2? |:8F6= $2?@ H2D 6=64E65 E@ E96 p==\$E2C 82>6 H:E9 “`]b >:==:@?” G@E6D] vC2?E65[ A6@A=6 H9@ G@E6 7@C |2;@C {628F6 q2D632== p==\$E2C A=2J6CD 42? 42DE FA E@ 7:G6 32==@ED 6249 :? 2 ac\9@FC A6C:@5] qFE ;FDE :>28:?6 :7 H6 4@F=5 86?6C2E6 E92E D2>6 =6G6= @7 :?E6C6DE :? 2 AC:>2CJ 6=64E:@? E92E H:== 4=62C=J 92G6 E96 A@E6?E:2= E@ 27764E >2?J >@C6 A6@A=6 :? |:??6D@E2 E92? 2? p==\$E2C 82>6]k^Am
kAm|J >@> 6G6?EF2==J C64@G6C65 7C@> E92E 3C@<6? 324<[ H62C:?8 2 3C246 7@C >@?E9D 2?5 D=66A:?8 H:E9 2 A:646 @7 A=JH@@5 36EH66? E96 >2EEC6DD 2?5 3@I DAC:?8 @7 >J A2C6?ED’ 365 E@ AC@G:56 E96 DE:77 DFAA@CE D96 ?66565 7C@> E96C6 @? @FE] $96 4@?E:?F65 E@ E2<6 24E:@? 2?5 7:I AC@3=6>D[ 6G6? H96? :E H@F=5 92G6 366? >F49 62D:6C E@ =6E D@>63@5J 6=D6 7:I @C >2<6 2 564:D:@?]k^Am
kAm(92E H:== H6 5@ E9:D 6=64E:@? D62D@?i E2<6 24E:@? @C =6E D@>63@5J 6=D6 564:56 7@C FDnk^Am
kAmk6>mz6:E9 p?56CD@? :D 5:C64E@C @7 ?6HD 7@C p!v @7 t2DE r6?EC2= |:??6D@E2]k^6>mk^Am
(0) comments
Welcome to the discussion.
Log In
Keep it Clean. Please avoid obscene, vulgar, lewd, racist or sexually-oriented language.
PLEASE TURN OFF YOUR CAPS LOCK.
Don't Threaten. Threats of harming another person will not be tolerated.
Be Truthful. Don't knowingly lie about anyone or anything.
Be Nice. No racism, sexism or any sort of -ism that is degrading to another person.
Be Proactive. Use the 'Report' link on each comment to let us know of abusive posts.
Share with Us. We'd love to hear eyewitness accounts, the history behind an article.