A California nurse executive suffered a near-fatal spinal cord injury after a tree limb cracked, fell and crushed her in a Costa Rica adventure park, according to a May 31 ABC7 report.
Deanne Niedziela, MSN, RN, is the executive director of nursing at Mission Viejo, Calif.-based Providence Mission Hospital, where she oversees the Spine and Neuroscience Institute.
Ms. Niedziela is recovering from a nine-hour surgery in a Costa Rican hospital; physicians there are working to stabilize her so she can be flown back to Mission Hospital for further care and rehabilitation.
At this time, her prognosis is unknown.
The cost to fly her back to California is estimated at $100,000, her husband, Ken, told ABC7. Ms. Niedziela's family has set up a GoFundMe page to raise money to help pay for the flight home.