A woman who fell down a 12ft drop and fractured her neck in three places has made a miracle recovery and welcomed a baby boy. Cary Edby, 25, had gone out for a cigarette two days before Christmas when she lost her footing and somersaulted over a wall and towards the basement flat below - face first.
At first Cary couldn’t move her mouth to speak but finally mustered the energy to call for help. Luckily two strangers heard her and were able to get her mum, Diane Dee, 59, who called the ambulance and fire brigade.
It took three hours for the firefighters to get Cary out from where she was stuck and she was rushed to hospital. A CT scan revealed she had fractured her neck in three places, and she was moved to King's College Hospital, London.
Cary had spinal surgery on Christmas Eve and wore a neck brace for three months but has made a miracle recovery and has gone onto become a mum. In April 2022, she welcomed her son Freddy, one, with her partner, Connor Wright, 27, a general manager.
Cary, a stay-at-home mum, said: “I went outside for a cigarette and lost my balance and summersaulted over the wall. I fell face first.
“When I fell, I couldn’t talk or move. I thought 'this is it - I’m paralysed.'
“I wanted to call for help, but I couldn’t open my mouth. Finally, I was able to, but it was really quiet and raspy. Then I heard a voice saying, ‘we can hear you’.
“Two heads appeared from up on the wall. They were able to go and get my mum as I’d left the door open.
“I heard a drip noise and thought it was raining but apparently my head was bleeding. The firefighters had to lower a stretcher down to me to get me out.
“Everyone feels it’s a complete miracle I'm OK.”
Cary was rescued after falling down the gap on December 23, 2019, at 2am and was rushed into surgery. Cary said: “When I was 15, I had severe scoliosis and had spinal fusion surgery where they put lots of metal joints in me.
“That surgery saved me as it stopped me from breaking more of my spine.”
Cary spent 14 days in hospital before going home in a neck brace - which she wore for three months. Slowly Cary has gained her mobility back but has been left with a 50 per cent reduction in both sides of her neck – meaning she struggles to turn her head.
But doctors are amazed that Cary can still walk and hasn’t been left paralysed from the accident. She said: “It’s completely amazing.
“Doctors can’t believe I’m not in a wheelchair. Crossing the road is difficult.
"I have to move my entire body to look left and right."
She spent lockdown recovering and being looked after by her mum, Diane, but sadly lost her to Covid-19 when Cary was five months pregnant in December 2021. She lost her nan, Sylvia, 80, just a month before.
Cary said: “Mum died when I was pregnant. I feel like their souls have gone into Freddy.”
Cary still struggles with chronic pain, nerve damage and her balance but loves being a mum. She said: “It’s been series of unfortunate events.
"I have nerve damage behind my ears, and I get dizzy when I bend over. Connor helps out a lot with Freddy.
"Freddy is amazing. He’s very funny. He’s got my nan’s smile and I think he looks like my mum.”
