Arabian
She Rescued a Horse and Gave Up Her Legs
By
Feb 11, 2009, 10:09

Kelly Boccia

Can you image waking up one morning and within hours you were paralyzed from the waist down? It is a horrifying thought and the reaction is the same-it’s unimaginable!

On September 13, 2008 Kelly Boccia awoke to what can only be described as a horrifying, scary and life altering experience. ‘I woke up with sharp burning pains radiating up and down both my legs and within 3 hours I could not feel my legs or walk.”

The cause? “Well a few weeks prior, I had jumped into a dairy manure retention pond to rescue an Arabian Stallion. The stallion had gotten loose and in his efforts to escape being caught had leaped into the pond. The top layer of the pond is thick with green algae and witnesses think the horse was unable to tell the difference between the pond and the surrounding thick green grass. It soon became evident that the horse would not be able to get out on his own and that someone was going to have to go in with a rope in order to drag him to safety. The farm workers just stood by and no else seem willing to step up to the plate. I didn’t even consider my own safety and jumped into the green scum and slipped the noose around the horse’s neck and the both of us were pulled out of the pond. Since the horse had submerged underwater, the veterinarian was concerned about the horse contracting a bacterial pneumonia infection and immediately treated him with antibiotics. “

Kelly Boccia

“I climbed out of the pond seemingly unharmed. 10 days later I am paralyzed from the waist down.” Kelly was airlifted to Harborview hospital. Undergoing weeks of testing and after ruling out horrible debilitating diseases such as MS, Devix, vascular diseases and any spinal arteriovenous malformations she was eventually treated for Transverse Myelitis - a neurological disorder caused by inflammation across both sides of one level, or segment, of the spinal cord. The only blood test that came back positive was for Mycoplasma pneumonia (bacterial pneumonia) which has been associated with the condition- Transverse Myelitis.

“Is it a coincidence, that I would have a bacterial infection soon after being in the pond? The same pond the horse was in, who was treated for a bacterial infection? I do not believe in coincidences. It’s the general consensus that my situation is directly correlated with whatever is in that pond. Normal, healthy people do not just wake up and become paralyzed for no reason.”

Kelly, after 7 weeks in the hospital, was released in a wheelchair with a questionable prognosis. In fact, the doctors could not say if she would walk again. Anyone knowing Kelly is aware of her strong will and stubbornness to accept things as they are.

“I had recently been accepted to a masters program through Harvard University and classes were to start only a few weeks after the incident. I refused to listen to everyone about the difficulties, both physically and physiologically, of what I about to go through and stayed in school and complete my classes online. I couldn’t just lay here and do nothing. I really needed something to keep my mind busy. I needed to be able to control some aspect of my life. Everything had been taken away from me except my mind and my hands. Also, I kept thinking they would be able to fix this. I still wake up every morning and can not believe that this is happening. It is very surreal.”

Dr. Dana Bridges, Kelly's friend

“One thing that I want to stressed is my overwhelming realization of how important my friends and family have become. When I came home it really hit me hard. I can’t walk, let alone drive myself anywhere. I had to rely upon someone else for just about everything and for someone as independent as I am this was really hard. Long after the flowers and the balloons are gone is where you really see who your true friends are. I have to thank these people for they have incorporated me into their daily lives unselfishly.” Besides my family, my friends help me by taking care of my horses, running errands and going to the grocery store, etc. Namely friends like Barb Obritz, Kristina, Robyn Kelley, Quinton & Danielle Des Fountain, Edward Higbee, Jim Sproles, and especially Dr. Dana Bridges for in addition to her time and friendship, also is taking care of the veterinarian needs of my horses.

Danielle Des Fountain, Kelly's friend.

“One friend, who I really want to thank, is Danielle Des Fountain. I can not imagine having to go through this without her. She has been there not only in taking care of my horses, but she has included me in her daily routine along with taking care of a one year old child and her family. She really been there for me on an emotional and spiritual level that I cannot describe. There will be days where she will get me laughing so hard or she will just call to tell me how good my horses are doing or she will come pick me up and with Tian in the stroller and me in the wheelchair, we will go to the mall. Now that is an experience! She is truly an amazing person.”

When asked about how this experience has affected her, she did not hesitate in responding.

“I refuse to accept that this is my life and that there is some deeper meaning to what has happened. I think as soon as you start thinking that way it is too easy to accept things as they are. I have always been ready to set out to prove that I can do something especially when someone tells me I can’t! I am in intensive physical therapy right now and I am recovering an amazing amount of mobility and I am convinced I will make a full recovery.”

“I will walk again. Even better, I will be back in the show ring! Maybe for now, it will be with a great driving horse!”





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