Scary New Details About Ashley Judd's Accident Released
New details about Ashley Judd's recent accident have been released.
This month, Judd suffered some serious injuries when she fell and severed her leg while on a trip to the Democratic Republic of Congo. Live over Instagram with The New York Times' Nicholas Kristof, Judd explained that she had tripped and fallen over a tree when a head lamp went out, obscuring her vision.
Yesterday, Judd told People that, as well as being shattered, her leg had no pulse. This means there was little to no blood circulation in her leg after the accident and grueling six-hour journey to the hospital, which Judd recounted on her Instagram.
She said: "I desperately needed a blood transfusion. Their [Sunninghill Hospital, Johannesburg, South Africa] sisters (nurses) are exemplary, technically top notch, and they cared for the trauma in my body as well as my soul with equal proficiency" (via People).
Judd was in dire need of a blood transfusion and said hospital staff had to make a snap decision over what to do about her injuries. "Eventually I was qualified to have the 8-hour surgery to repair the bones, decompress the hemorrhaging nerve and pick the shards of bones out of the nerve" (via People).
The Whole Ordeal Lasted 55 Hours
Judd was in the Democratic Republic of Congo to see the endangered bonobos monkeys when her injury occurred. She detailed the harrowing tale of her journey out of the jungle and to the hospital on her Instagram account.
Her leg "was broken in four places and had nerve damage," she wrote. One man, Dieumerci, "remained seated, without fidgeting or flinching, for 5 hours on the rain forest floor," with Judd until Papa John "eventually ... found me."
Judd then had to bite down on a stick while her leg was manipulated into a position fit for transport — three hours in a hammock, carried by six men. She then spent six hours holding her shattered bones together on the back of a motorcycle before she arrived at the hospital.
Judd is now "up and about" and recovering from surgery she told People.
In her latest Instagram post, Judd once again thanked everybody who helped her with her recovery and mentioned that her dad was able to visit her while in South Africa. She finished up with a heartfelt message, acknowledging her privilege in her ability to get treatment.
"Let us always remember those without insurance, she wrote. "Let us remember those who do not have choices. Let us remember those who are lonely and afraid."