Jennifer Keenan was on the trip of a lifetime when everything fell apart…quite literally.
The 32-year-old from Queensland, Australia had been traveling across Asia – from Japan to the Philippines – when tragedy struck. She was island-hopping in the Philippine archipelago, returning to a boat from a village tour in the scenic Palawan province, and that’s when a makeshift bridge collapsed. It nearly took her legs, and her life.
Now, Keenan is on the mend following the accident. But she has a long road to recovery.
According to a GoFundMe accountcreated to support Keenan, here’s what happened:
“While on the final stop of an island boat tour, Jennifer was walking across a bridge when it suddenly collapsed beneath her. She was thrown into the water and pinned between large, sharp concrete blocks. Unable to move and in severe pain, she was trapped as people rushed to help free her.
“It took multiple people to pull her out, revealing the extent of her injuries — including a pole that had pierced through her leg and severe damage to her ankle. With limited access to immediate medical care, it took hours for Jennifer to reach a hospital while bleeding and in significant distress.”
After some effort, Keenan was pulled from the ocean and rubble. But her injuries were severe. They took her to the nearest hospital, a two-and-a-half-hour boat ride away. And now, she’s recovering in a different hospital in Manila, still suffering from severe pain.
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Speaking with news.com.au through tears, Keenan told her tale:
“It was like a war zone,” she said.
“I’ve needed three surgeries and to clean my wounds, since there was a parasite in my leg from the pole. My right ankle is cracked where all the skin came back and I am just on antibiotics non-stop to kill this thing [parasite] inside me.”
Now, she’s working on getting home for proper care.
“Jennifer has always been a kind, adventurous, and generous person, and now she needs our support more than ever,” the crowdfunding effort continued.
Support her via GoFundMe here.
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