Staff Throws In-Hospital Prom After Student Misses Hers Due To A Broken Back — 'I Felt Like I Was Surrounded By Angels'
Proms are always memorable, but they're rarely this impactful.
kali9 | Getty Images Signature | Canva Pro For many teens, prom is the absolute pinnacle of their high school years, and the mere thought of missing it feels like a tragedy. But for one Texas teen, that became her reality after a far more bracing incident threatened her life just weeks before the big event. So the hospital staff caring for her stepped up in a big way to make sure she could still celebrate the biggest night of her senior year.
The medical staff threw her an in-hospital prom when she missed hers due to a broken back.
Eighteen-year-old high school senior Ella Walker was at her cousin's birthday party in April when the festivities suddenly turned harrowing, leading to a broken back that very nearly left her paralyzed.
Forced to wear a back brace 24 hours a day while she recovered, her senior prom was off-limits, a heartbreak that Melanie Bradshaw, the trauma survivorship coordinator at the hospital that treated Walker, knew all too well. She was forced to skip her own prom for the same reason. And for her, there was only one solution: Since Walker couldn't go to the prom, the prom would come to Walker.
The student was nearly left paralyzed after an accident at a trampoline party.
Walker's cousin's birthday party was held at a local trampoline park, a perfect opportunity for Walker to show off her gymnastics skills. But after jumping nearly nine feet in the air while doing a roundoff back handspring back flip, Walker somehow went wrong and landed on her head.
She told People that she found herself unable to breathe or get up off the trampoline, while enduring "the most intense pain I've ever felt in my whole life." She was rushed to Memorial Hermann The Woodlands Medical Center in Shenandoah, Texas, where she underwent surgery to insert a series of rods and screws to stabilize her spine.
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Doctors said that if Walker's injuries had been just an inch or two higher along her spine, she likely would have been paralyzed for life. "Every doctor or nurse that I see now is actually surprised at how much mobility [I have] and how good I'm doing," Walker said. "I'm so grateful to be here."
That stunning recovery has required extensive physical therapy, and it was Walker's hard work that inspired Bradshaw to do something for Walker's prom. "Just because you have an injury, it doesn’t mean you shouldn’t get to experience all of the great passages of life," she said. So she set about making that happen.
Nurses did the student's hair and makeup, and her friends and boyfriend joined her at the hospital.
After hatching her plan, Bradshaw went to check with Walker to see if she'd like to have a prom gathering there at the hospital. The tearful "yes" she got in response set her into action, ordering decor and flowers.
While Bradshaw tended to the details, Walker got dolled up for the night with the help of an ICU nurse who did her hair. The event was held on the same night as Tomball High School's dance was scheduled, but her friends and boyfriend nevertheless made time to share it with her, along with her family.
She was even allowed to take the back brace off for a few moments to put on her prom dress and take photos with her friends and boyfriend, just like she would have at home, a moment she said made her feel "beautiful."
And perhaps best of all, after a nearly two-week stay in the hospital that included 9 days in the ICU, Walker was cleared to go home after the prom festivities concluded. Walker said the whole experience has inspired her to pursue a career helping others. After graduation, she'll attend the University of Arkansas, with plans to work as a trauma nurse or flight nurse
"I'm not glad that I broke my back," she told People, "but I'm glad that this whole experience happened and that I get to understand from the patient's side and hopefully one day from the nurse's side, as well." All proms are memorable, but few have quite the impact of this one.
John Sundholm is a writer, editor, and video personality with 20 years of experience in media and entertainment. He covers culture, mental health, and human interest topics.
