Playful push into pool leaves bride-to-be paralyzed

[Raiden]

She may never walk again, but wedding is still on and she’s forgiven her friend

A freak accident during a poolside party left Rachelle Friedman’s body forever broken. The mishap didn’t make even the slightest dent, however, in the bride-to-be’s spirit — or her desire to marry the man who stood by her when both of their lives were suddenly turned upside down.

“I’m doing awesome,” Friedman, 25, told anchor Meredith Vieira Monday on TODAY. “I’m determined. I’m going to marry him one way or another.”

The accident occurred in Virginia Beach in May, a month before Friedman was to marry Chris Chapman, a seventh-grade science teacher from North Carolina. After attending a bachelorette party in her honor, Friedman and her girlfriends changed into bathing suits for a late-night swim.

Then came the push that changed Friedman’s life. It was just a playful tap from behind from a friend to get Friedman into the water. Unfortunately, the pool was only 3 and a half feet deep at the end into which Friedman plunged headfirst.

Rachelle Friedman immediately knew something was wrong. “As soon as I hit the water, I felt my body kind of stiffen up. I went numb and I kind of heard a crack in my neck,” she said.

The sound Friedman heard was her C6 cervical vertebra fracturing when her head hit the bottom of the pool. She has had no feeling below her collarbone ever since. Doctors say she will never walk again.

“We were horsing around by the pool. It was a freak accident,” said Friedman. “I just went in the wrong way.”

Of course, the wedding plans were immediately put on hold. But as soon as she was able, Friedman began physical therapy to relearn how to use her arms and hands, albeit with limited range of motion.

“Every day’s a fight. There are so many things I am unable to do right now. You have to fight if you’re going to get there,” she said. “There is no use in being down in the dumps and depressed. It’s not going to get you anywhere.”

The wedding is on
Friedman’s mother and brother stay with her during the day. The rest of the time, Chapman lovingly cares for the woman he still intends to marry.

“I never once thought about leaving her or the situation,” Chapman told Vieira. “It was simply a matter of: ‘We are a couple. We’re going to get through this,’ ” he said.

Many men would have been unable to cope with the constant care that someone with a permanent spinal injury requires. Chapman, however, said he will provide Friedman with all the love and care she’ll need.

“I certainly had moments where I felt it would be very difficult, and have had trouble coming to terms about what a future could be, but one day at a time we keep working through it,” he said.

The couple intend to marry next summer, but first they have to overcome some hurdles. For one, Friedman may not quality for Medicaid after her disability payments are coupled with her new husband’s salary.

And of course, they’ll have to redo the wedding invitations. The friend who pushed Friedman in the pool, whom Friedman declined to identify, will be among the invited guests.

“I didn’t have to forgive her; I never blamed her in the first place,” Friedman said of the friend, who she said was having “a hard time” getting over the incident emotionally. “It was a freak accident.”

As for Chapman, Friedman said she never had a doubt that he would stand beside her at the altar — albeit it a year later than planned, and with her in a wheelchair.

“I knew he’d be there for me,” she said. “If the roles had been reversed, I’d be there for him.”

What a terrible accident. Would you forgive your friend if you were the bride?

[Lunar_Wolf]

I'd forgive a friend because it wasn't intentional, but it's really the post accident that would matter. The friend would have to be there for support and stuff.

After watching the video, it's great she can move her arms.

[Bboy]

Wow... This is unbelievable.

I'd forgive the friend, though I know the friend would feel guilty for life, pretty much.

[SuperFerret]

Since the word is "accident", then yes, I would forgive them, seeing as how it was an accident.

[LOBO3315a]

I'd have to forgive them, as long as the injury wasn't intentional.

Not like the kid that pushed me off the sliding board ladder when I was 6, and I landed on my head. I was fortunate not to have had the same thing happen to me. All that kid wanted to do was get in front of me to slide down first. In the process he tried to kill me.

[AndThePickles]

This story literally gave me chills. What a horrible thing to happen!

I think it's interesting that so far people have immediately said they'd forgive the friend. I know for a fact that it would not be so easy for me. Paralyzed and never able to walk again...to not be able to enjoy physical intimacy because you can't feel anything...to never be able to take a walk in your bare feet down the beach again...to never be able to dance again...whew. And those are just a few small things. To have all of that taken away from you because someone was being reckless and pushed you into a shallow pool (which I think is incredibly stupid to do, ever - pushing someone into a pool. It's dangerous.) is something that I can't even imagine. I think that it would take years before I could even consider truly forgiving that person.

[Bboy]

Forgiving & forgetting are two different things. It would be hard to forget, but if this was a real friend we're talking about, it would be a non-negotiable for me to forgive them. Is sucks majorly, but hey...

[enterthemadness]

Guess she won't be walked down the isle...but rolled down.

I just had too...

But seriously, it is good her spirit is up there and she ain't mad. Hope she can regain more use of her body. I know a guy who had a similar accident...well, a customer of walmart and a few times I would stop collecting carts and help him buy things inside. Good man. Also he would always ask if I could help him...even though he had somebody with him...but still...didn't mind it.

[SLVRSR4]

I'm off Hype for two months and I miss all these crazy news stories!

[ALP]

Best of luck to her I say.


But hearing being pushed or jumping in a pool can crack part of your neck makes me extremely scared!

[enterthemadness]

Originally Posted by ALP

Best of luck to her I say.


But hearing being pushed or jumping in a pool can crack part of your neck makes me extremely scared!

Only in shallow end. Same with a lake.

[MessiahDecoy123]

Yet every member of Jackass can still walk.

[Scourge2099]

If I was the friend that pushed that chick into the pool I'd be calling her everyday to apologize.

[Aesop Rocks]

Wow, that seriously sucks. I know if I FOREVER BROKEN one of my friends before her wedding, or in general, it wouldn't be a pretty day. Ever again.

I wish I had a friend like her, tbh.

[Kurosawa]

Her attitude in light of what happened is amazing. No way would I have that kind of strength.