After a catastrophic fall from a horse left her paralyzed, professional horse trainer Jennifer R. walked to the podium to a standing ovation at Hackensack University Medical Center’s Trauma Survivors Event. A year before, the moving moment would have been unimaginable.
A Lifelong Passion
Jennifer has been riding horses since she was five years old, and thanks to a career as a trainer, her life has revolved around barns and riding rings.
But in 2025, tragedy struck. A devastating fall from a horse left her paralyzed on the ground, with her body feeling as if it had melted. Terrified, far from home and unable to move, Jennifer’s entire life changed in that moment.
“Don’t close my eyes, don’t close my eyes,” she repeated to herself as she fought to stay conscious.
A Fortunate Care Decision
Jennifer was far from her home on Long Island, but still lucky to be where she was: close to Hackensack University Medical Center, a Level 1 Trauma Center. When she arrived, the team was waiting — and they burst into action.
“I remember people running around,” Jennifer says.
In particular, Hooman Azmi Ghadimi, M.D., a neurosurgeon, was direct: “You need surgery right now.”
With no time to waste and her family not yet by her side, Jennifer trusted him. She was right to do so. “He saved my life,” she says.
The successful surgery was intricate, a decompression and the insertion of rods along her spine. The immediate action gave her a chance to walk again. After ten days in the intensive care unit cared for by the “amazing” nurses, she was transferred to a rehabilitation facility close to home.
A Miraculous Outcome
Now, a year later, Jennifer can walk with a walker and has regained enough movement to scratch her own face. The question of whether she will ride again remains, but her love for horses is undiminished.
For the new chief of trauma at Hackensack University Medical Center, Charles Andrew Adams, Jr., M.D., watching Jennifer cross to the podium was remarkable.
"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."
Next Steps & Resources
- Meet our sources: Hooman Azmi Ghadimi, M.D. and Charles Andrew Adams, Jr., M.D.
- Make an appointment online with a spine specialist near you, or call 800-822-8905.
- Learn more about trauma care.
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