A university student who broke nearly every bone in her body while rock climbing has racked up a $1.2million hospital bill after having her leg amputated.
New Zealander Anna Parsons, 21, fell 24m while summitting the infamous ‘Snake Dike’ route on Half Dome peak at California’s Yosemite National Park in the United States on August 1.
Her left foot was so badly damaged that she was forced to make a awful choice – keep the limb with very limited mobility or have it amputated.
Being a keen surfer and mountain biker, Ms Parsons chose to amputate the limb as it would provide more freedom of movement that may one day allow her to return to those pursuits.
University student Anna Parsons fell 24m while rock climbing in Yosemite National Park breaking nearly every bone but a helmet saved her life (pictured in hospital in Modesto)
Ms Parsons (pictured) is a keen surfer, mountain biker and rock climber but is facing a lengthy rehabilitation
Ms Parsons and her climbing partner Jack Evans – both marine science students at the University of Otago – arrived in the US from New Zealand just two days before the climb.
The pair headed to foreign exchange programs in Canada and decided to visit Yosemite for some climbing beforehand – travelling up from San Francisco on July 31.
They made a warmup climb the day they arrived – the 100m Swan Gully – before tackling the 762m Snake Dike the following day.
The climb involves attaching to numerous bolts on the rock face and Ms Parsons, who had gone on ahead, missed one bolt.
When she realised and tried to climb back down to reach it, her foot slipped and she fell 24m hitting multiple ledges before Mr Evans caught her on belay – her rope attached to his climbing gear.
She broke her neck, pelvis, spine, ribs, legs, and feet in the fall and punctured her lungs.
Mr Evans called Yosemite Search and Rescue as Ms Parsons swung on the rope in pain from her injuries.
Within half an hour, a chopper arrived to do a visual assessment.
She and a friend Jack Evans were climbing Snake Dike on Yosemite’s Half Dome (pictured) when Ms Parsons fell and was caught on belay by Mr Evans
Ms Parsons (pictured) is a marine science student at Otago University in New Zealand
A rescue climber then made it down to the pair and the two of them got Ms Parsons off the rock and stretchered her to a clearing where the helicopter could collect her.
She was wearing a helmet which likely saved her life.
‘The helmet she was wearing was completely demolished, It was extremely lucky that she had it on. Doctors reported she had no sign of head trauma,’ Mr Evans told Climbing.com.
Back in hospital she needed titanium plates to fuse some of her bones and vertebrae and doctors told her that the fibula in her left leg was ‘shattered’.
They said the talus bone in her left foot had fallen out when her fractures broke the skin and was probably still on the mountain somewhere.
Surgeons said they could leave the leg as is, which would have severely limited mobility, or 3D print a talus bone that would give some improvement, or amputate the foot just above the ankle – with a prothesis for greater movement.
‘[Our family] was all trying to do research, help her weigh the options. It was a big, tough decision. But eventually, Anna just made the call… She didn’t care about the amputation, she just wanted to get back to surfing, climbing, doing the things she loves. That’s just the kind of person she is.’ her brother Ben said.
She had to have her foot amputated (pictured) and has racked up more than a million dollars in medical bills under the United States healthcare system
Ms Parsons remains in hospital near San Francisco where she is racking up huge medical bills.
New Zealand’s nationwide no-fault personal injury insurance program AAC (Accident Compensation Corporation) will cover almost all of her treatment but only what is done in NZ.
Her travel insurance covers a small portion, but her bills are already well over a million dollars.
Her family want to get her home as soon as she’s given the all clear to fly and in the meantime Ms Parsons sister Jessica has setup a Givealittle page to cover her prothesis, treatment and rehab.
Her family has setup a Givealittle page to help with Ms Parson’s (pictured) treatment and rehab