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Photo reveals woman's secret health struggles after horror skydiving accident

A woman has shared an emotional post on social media, revealing how a horror skydiving accident has left her incontinent with both her bladder and bowels.

In 2013, Emma Carey took off on a backpacking trip to Europe with a one-way ticket, and while she knew it was going to change her life, she didn’t expect it to result in a terrifying accident that would leave her seriously injured.

Ms Carey, who was 20 at the time, had always wanted to skydive in a specific spot in Switzerland and was excited when she and her friend decided they would travel there a few days into their adventure.

The now 25-year-old described the free-fall as amazing, adding: “I thought, I’m going to become a skydiver, I love it that much.”

The lucky survivor was told she would probably never walk again. Source: @em_carey/ Instagram
The lucky survivor was told she would probably never walk again. Source: @em_carey/ Instagram

Having never skydived before, she didn’t know what to expect, but felt a bit of a jolt midair and quickly realised something was wrong.

The young woman told Yahoo7 the parachute chords were strangling the instructor, who was then unconscious for the remainder of the fall.

Ms Carey plummeted down onto a grass field on her stomach. The instructor and his full weight landed on top of her.

“I just presumed that he was dead. He was floppy and wasn’t answering,” she recalled.

She tried to get up, but could not move her body at all – unbeknown to her at the time, she had sustained a serious spinal chord injury.

Ms Carey had always wanted to skydive in a specific spot in Switzerland, but things quickly started going wrong. Source: @em_carey/ Instagram
Ms Carey had always wanted to skydive in a specific spot in Switzerland, but things quickly started going wrong. Source: @em_carey/ Instagram

“It was so crazy to be perfectly fine and then in the next minute to not be able to move at all,” she said.

Fortunately her friend and another instructor landed shortly afterwards and they were able to call emergency services. Ms Carey’s instructor miraculously survived the incident.

Mc Carey soon found out she had broken her back at her L1 vertebrae, and was told she had incomplete paraplegia.

“Basically, it means the spinal chord is compressed or badly damaged,” she explained.

Ms Carey spent a month in hospital in Switzerland and then three months in a spinal unit in Australia.

Doctors in both countries told her she would probably never walk again – but the feeling slowly came back in her legs, and by the end of the four months in hospital she had started to take steps.

Emma about to board the plane to Australia following the accident. Source: @em_carey/ Instagram
Emma about to board the plane to Australia following the accident. Source: @em_carey/ Instagram

Now, she can’t run, jump or walk for too long, and she is also completely incontinent with both her bladder and bowels.

Initially she didn’t realise she had issues controlling the organs – all she cared about was the possibility of never walking again, but her incontinence has had a major impact as well.

“I stopped going out, I wouldn’t invite people over and became antisocial,” Ms Carey explained.

She eventually realised if she told people about it there was nothing to be scared of.

After everything she had gone through, she decided something out of her control wasn’t going to stop her from living her life.

Ms Carey first posted this image last year, but has decided to share it again and talk about her incontinence following the accident. Source: @em_carey/ Instagram
Ms Carey first posted this image last year, but has decided to share it again and talk about her incontinence following the accident. Source: @em_carey/ Instagram

The lucky survivor said she wasn’t really grateful before the terrifying accident, but she now makes the most of every day knowing just how lucky she is to be alive.

Her advice to others who may experience a life-altering event: “Know that something good can come from something bad.”

She believes the difficulties she has faced because of the traumatic ordeal have made her a better person.

“Everyone is capable of more than they realise and it’s not until they are put in a situation that they realise how strong they can be,” she said.