Bride-to-be left paralysed after bridesmaid pushes her into swimming pool in bachelorette party prank

Bride-to-be left paralysed after bridesmaid pushes her into swimming pool in bachelorette party prank



By David Gardner
Last updated at 11:45 AM on 18th November 2010
Comments (9)
Add to My Stories


Tragic: Rachelle Friedman, 25, from North Carolina is now paralysed from the chest down after being pushed into a pool at her bachelorette party


A bride-to-be was paralysed after a freak accident at her own bachelorette party.

Dance instructor Rachelle Friedman had been out with her friends celebrating her upcoming nuptials when they decided to go for a swim at the end of the night.

But a moment of horseplay turned to tragedy after Rachelle’s best friend and bridesmaid pushed her into the pool.
The would-be bride hit her head on the bottom – leaving her with a spinal cord injury that left her unable to walk or to feel any sensation below her collarbone.

'It all happened so quickly,' wheelchair-bound Rachelle, 25, told ABC News.

'We got home, ran upstairs and changed into our bathing suits. My best friend – and she is still my best friend – she playfully pushed me in like we’ve done a million times.

'It was playful, but it went wrong. It was a freak accident.

'I instantly went stiff and couldn’t move. I weirdly did not panic. I kind of knew exactly what happened and I floated up to the surface and said, 'Help!’ and then my friends called 911,’ she added.

'I remember when they were pulling me out of the water I could see my legs below me but I couldn’t feel the water on them.’

Doctors in Virginia Beach, Virginia, quickly realised what had happened. It was just one month before she was due to marry 'her very first boyfriend’, teacher Chris Chapman.

The couple had been engaged for a year and together for five years.

But doctors said she would never walk down the aisle.

'I remember the doctor telling me I wasn’t going to walk. He was very sure that I’d never, ever walk. Sometimes they give you percentages, he was pretty much like 'absolutely not.’

Rachelle called her fiancé, who had been camping with his father on the night of the accident, to tell him that she had broken her neck.

i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2010/11/18/article-1330733-0C1ED24F000005DC-705_468x346.jpg Brave: The former dance instructor said she doesn't blame her best friend for the accident but is devastated she will not be able to walk down the aisle


'I wasn’t crying. I wanted him to understand the severity of it before he got to the hospital,’ Rachelle told ABC.

After nearly three months in hospital, Rachelle finally returned to her home in Knightdale, North Carolina, where she and her fiancé had dreamed of starting their family together.

But she has had to put her 'perfect wedding’ on indefinite hold because of the medical bills for her treatment.

By getting married, she said she would lose the Medicaid health insurance that is helping her to stay out of debt. 'If I marry Chris, our combined incomes would be too much to qualify for Medicaid,’ she said.

'The wedding, it was just so close. 'It was my dream to marry him and it still is but it makes me so sad that that I won’t walk down the aisle and have my first dance with him,’ she added.

Despite her injuries, wheelchair-bound Rachelle could still possible have children, but it would mean weaning herself off all her medications and being in great pain for all of the nine months.

Rachelle said she doesn’t blame for best friend for the accident.

'She was having a really hard time at first, but my family gave her a lot of attention and let her know we don't blame her and nobody is angry with her,’ she said.

'When people read the story I hope they realise how many times before we did this - we pushed each other in the pool all the time.

'I tell her all the time that I am at peace with what happened, and she should be too.’


Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/arti...#ixzz15ewdxnnw

Re: Bride-to-be left paralysed after bridesmaid pushes her into swimming pool in bachelorette party prank

Wow that is a crazy story

Re: Bride-to-be left paralysed after bridesmaid pushes her into swimming pool in bachelorette party prank

she was on Today a few weeks ago. She got a makeover to her house to make it easier for her to live more independently.

Re: Bride-to-be left paralysed after bridesmaid pushes her into swimming pool in bachelorette party prank

I've heard this one before actually. I don't know if I could NOT hate my friend.

Message edited 3/31/2011 4:35:37 PM.

Re: Bride-to-be left paralysed after bridesmaid pushes her into swimming pool in bachelorette party prank

she seems like a realy strong person! i dont have how she is so at peace with what happen!! soo traggic

Re: Bride-to-be left paralysed after bridesmaid pushes her into swimming pool in bachelorette party prank

Re: Bride-to-be left paralysed after bridesmaid pushes her into swimming pool in bachelorette party prank

I've heard this story before and I think her friends sounds pretty careless and irresponsible. Tragic story.

Re: Bride-to-be left paralysed after bridesmaid pushes her into swimming pool in bachelorette party prank

this isnt new ..but I dont think I realized that marrying her fiance would prevent her from getting medicaid. jesus...she's losing on all ends here. what a tragic thing to happen.

Re: Bride-to-be left paralysed after bridesmaid pushes her into swimming pool in bachelorette party prank

Re: Bride-to-be left paralysed after bridesmaid pushes her into swimming pool in bachelorette party prank

Re: Bride-to-be left paralysed after bridesmaid pushes her into swimming pool in bachelorette party prank

Re: Bride-to-be left paralysed after bridesmaid pushes her into swimming pool in bachelorette party prank

I know someone that broke his cervicals by the same kind of accident. Pushed by friends. Luckily he was not paralysed but had major physical therapy and long time in rehab.

Re: Bride-to-be left paralysed after bridesmaid pushes her into swimming pool in bachelorette party prank

OMG

Re: Bride-to-be left paralysed after bridesmaid pushes her into swimming pool in bachelorette party prank

Aww I remember this story. So sad.

Re: Bride-to-be left paralysed after bridesmaid pushes her into swimming pool in bachelorette party prank