Ashley Judd is in the ICU at a South African hospital after shattering her leg during an excursion in the Congo
Ashley Judd is currently recovering in the ICU at a South African hospital after suffering a shattered leg.
The actress, 52, revealed the news during an Instagram Live with Nicholas Kristof of The New York Times, via People.
Ashley said the accident occurred after a faulty head lamp made it hard for her to see during an excursion in the Congo.
The latest: Ashley Judd is currently recovering in the ICU at a South African hospital after suffering a shattered leg. The actress, 52, revealed the news during an Instagram Live with Nicholas Kristof of The New York Times, via People
She said she then tripped over a tree that fell, causing her to break her leg.
Ashley said that she was ‘in an ICU trauma unit in beautiful South Africa, which has taken me in from the Congo: a country I deeply love which is not, unfortunately, equipped to deal with massive catastrophic injuries like I had.’
Adding: ‘And the difference between a Congolese person and me is disaster insurance that allowed me 55 hours after my accident to get to an operating table in South Africa.’
The actress said many people from the Congo don’t have access to even something as simple as a pain killer let alone if they shattered their leg in four places and have nerve damage, stressing her privilege.
Traumatizing: Ashley said the accident occurred after a faulty head lamp made it hard for her to see during an excursion in the Congo; pictured March 4, 2018 at the 90th Academy Awards
Ashley said after the accident, the next 55 hours were ‘harrowing’ as she ‘started with five hours of lying on the forest floor.’
She was with a colleague like that until she was able to be evacuated, the star explained.
‘With his leg under my badly misshapen leg, biting my stick. Howling like a wild animal,’ as she held up the stick on the Live, per the outlet.
At the end of the fifth hour, someone came to reset her bones while she was ‘going into shock’ and ‘passing out’ because of the pain, according to People.
Afterwards, she spent ‘an hour and a half in hammock, being carried out of the rainforest by my Congolese brothers, who were doing it barefoot, up and over hills, through the river’ in order to return to the camp.
The next step in the journey had Ashley on a motorcycle for six hours with someone holding her leg up and someone driving.
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Speaking out: She said she then tripped over a tree that fell, causing her to break her leg
Ashley also said she recognized her ‘privilege’ in being able to pay someone to take her.
Then, she spent the night in a hut in Jolu and then being flown into the capital of Kinshasa for a day before getting to South Africa to the ICU, per People.
Of her whole ordeal, she said: ‘I’m in a lot of love. I’m in a lot of compassion and I’m in a lot of gratitude. I thank everyone for their thoughts and their prayers and their support,’ according to People.
Harrowing tale: Ashley said that she was ‘in an ICU trauma unit in beautiful South Africa, which has taken me in from the Congo: a country I deeply love which is not, unfortunately, equipped to deal with massive catastrophic injuries like I had’
Wishing her a speedy recovery: Of her whole ordeal, she said: ‘I’m in a lot of love. I’m in a lot of compassion and I’m in a lot of gratitude. I thank everyone for their thoughts and their prayers and their support,’ according to People; November 8, 2017 in NYC
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