A mom says a family day out left her faced with the possibility of never walking again when she ‘shattered’ her leg jumping on a trampoline.
Kirsten Browning from Boise, Idaho, visited a trampoline park with her family in March and chose to try a Wipe Out obstacle course attraction just before they were about to leave.
The 36-year-old jumped high into the air and landed with her legs splayed apart.
The mom said her leg ‘cracked’ multiple times and that the sound was so loud, her husband thought the noise was a machine breaking down.
She quickly realized she was unable to move and was in ‘excruciating’ pain, which she says was worse than unmedicated childbirth.
Her husband quickly called 911, and an ambulance took her to St Alphonsus Hospital in Boise. Doctors had to remove her leggings and conduct an X-ray, revealing that her leg was severely crushed into ‘powder and pieces.’
The life coach was horrified to find that her tibia, the shinbone in the lower leg, had split in half and that her femur was ‘crunched down.’
Doctors performed a six-hour operation to try to repair the damage a few days later, but Browning was left unable to walk for three months.
Kirsten Browning (pictured above) from Boise, Idaho, visited a trampoline park with her family and attempted the Wipe Out obstacle course attraction just before they were leaving. Unfortunately, her leg was shattered in the process.
She said: ‘We were jumping around and I ended up being too far on the right on my trampoline section.
‘My right leg came out and landed on the padding instead of the trampoline. My left leg landed back on the trampoline.
‘My right leg landed on the divider. I jumped really high but you can’t control where you go once you’re in the air.
‘My husband actually thought the machine broke, my sister’s boyfriend said he will never forget that sound.
‘I heard the cracks as I landed and I fell backwards on the trampoline and I just grabbed my leg. It was bent. I couldn’t move. My kids were crying.’
Browning was unsure how much damage had been caused to begin with as there were ‘no bones sticking out.’
But the cracks and crunches and severe pain made her think that her leg had to be broken.
Browning had to wait several days for surgery, which took place at the end of March.
Now, almost six months later, she is still learning how to walk again and has been forced to rely on a walker, crutches and a wheelchair.
Browning is pictured after the accident. Her tibia and femur were severely ‘crunched down’
It took several days for Browning (pictured in the hospital) to undergo surgery. She is still relearning how to walk
One major challenge in her recovery is that her legs swell significantly due to inflammation and an accumulation of blood and other chemicals around the break, which restricts her movement.
During an early physical therapy session, specialists diagnosed Browning with a ‘foot drop,’ a condition where, due to muscle weakness or paralysis, lifting the front part of the foot is impossible.
Browning said: ‘If my drop foot didn’t heal I would never have been able to walk again.’
She added: ‘I walk like a pirate because you have to focus on the correct walking motion and because of the pain it’s not easy to do.
‘I have to be very conscious of how I’m walking. I couldn’t walk for three months, my toe couldn’t touch the ground.
‘I had my crutches and did everything with my one leg. I had a wheelchair and a walker.’
Browning shared that she ‘cried all the time’ during her recovery journey, with only her faith and the hope of eventual healing driving her forward.
Since her accident, she has vowed to never step foot on a trampoline again and aims to raise awareness for other parents.
Browning is using a wheelchair, walker and crutches to learn how to walk again. She is pictured here in her wheelchair with her son
Browning is pictured above before the accident
According to the US Consumer Product Safety Commission, there are an estimated 100,000 trampoline-related injuries treated in emergency rooms each year.
The most common injuries are fractures, soft tissue injuries and dislocations.
Browning said: ‘As an adult I always love to participate in activities with my kids and engage with them. I will still continue to do that with things that I can, but this has altered my year and my life.
‘I’ll never look at a trampoline the same way again. It seems so simple, like no big deal but I didn’t realize how many other people have gotten hurt at trampoline parks.
‘I had no idea. I’ve always jumped on trampolines, but don’t think I’ll ever step foot on one again.’
