A woman has been left with a medical bill of more than $600,000 after a rock-climbing accident in Yosemite National Park that broke "nearly every bone in her body."
Anna Parsons is a 21-year-old student from New Zealand who arrived in the U.S. just two days before her fall on August 1.
She was attempting the Snake Dike climb, a classic Yosemite route that is often a priority for climbers who visit the area according to the Mountain Project guide.
The route is fitted with anchor bolts, permanent fittings that allow climbers to attach themselves for safety purposes. However, the bolts can be spaced quite far apart and there is still the potential for danger.
Parsons' accident occurred after she missed one of the bolts and fell a distance of around 78 feet, according to Australian news outlet 9 News. She hit multiple ledges before her rope halted her descent, leaving her dangling while her climbing partner called for a rescue helicopter.
The 21-year-old was taken to a local hospital where it was found that she had broken her neck, spine, pelvis, ribs and feet. Her left foot was so badly damaged that it had to be amputated.
Her head was relatively uninjured and Parsons, who was wearing a helmet, remained conscious—described as "nothing short of a miracle" on a fundraising page set up by her sister, Jessica Ennor.
Parsons is now recovering in a California hospital after breaking "nearly every bone in her body," Ennor wrote. The fundraiser describes her as "strong" and "determined" despite the long and costly rehabilitation ahead.
She is due to be fitted with a prosthesis to replace the amputated portion of her leg, and some of her spinal bones have been fused with titanium implants. However, Parsons appears to have suffered no permanent spinal damage according to 9 News.
The student's travel insurance will cover roughly a fifth of the bill for her surgeries and hospital care, but the total will be more than 1 million New Zealand dollars ($618,000), according to the family.
Their fundraiser on the GiveALittle website has a goal of NZ$500,000 and has already raised close to NZ$250,000 in 15 days, courtesy of more than 3,000 donors.
"My family and I are very grateful for all of the support, both financial and messages of encouragement," Anna's brother Benjamin Parsons told Newsweek. "It really means a lot."
The GiveALittle page reads: "Anna would like to say a huge thank you to the [search and rescue] team who got her off the wall. She has been overwhelmed by the love and messages and support she has received from everyone."
Update, 8/22/22, 10:11 a.m. ET: This article has been updated to include a link to the fundraising page.
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