Hiking in the Alps, Ashley Judd is celebrating her ‘stunning recovery’ more than two years after suffering a serious leg injury.
Ashley Judd is celebrating her ‘amazing recovery’ as she marks the two and a half year anniversary of breaking her leg in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
In February 2021, the actress suffered a horrific injury after tripping over a fallen tree while walking through the African country’s rainforest.
On Saturday, Judd, 55, shared photos where she was spotted hiking in the Alps during a trip to Switzerland.
“Walk. Switzerland. “After five fractures in my right leg, a paralyzed foot, possible amputation and bleeding, my leg and I have made great strides in the 2.5 years since my accident in the DRC,” wrote the “Double Jeopardy” star in the caption.
She continued: “We came far into the Alps out of sheer joy and full of confidence. An enduring gratitude of deep proportions goes to the Congolese who rescued me and to the surgeons, neurologists and physical therapists who made this breathtaking recovery possible.”
“How do you celebrate your blessing?”
The slideshow posted by Judd featured images of blue skies, a waterfall, a butterfly, and scenic vistas of the mountain range.
In one of the photos, the California native was seen from behind walking down a trail with trekking poles.
Judd was seen beaming in another snap as she stood at the base of a waterfall. In another photo, the Emmy nominee was seen seated in front of a traditional alpine stone hut.
Judd previously described the “grueling 55 hours” following the injury that put her in intensive care. The actress was flown to Sunninghill Hospital in Johannesburg, South Africa for surgery.
“I came to them from the Democratic Republic of the Congo [Democratic Republic of Congo] “I was in a terrible state and my leg had no pulse,” Judd wrote. “I needed a blood transfusion urgently. Her sisters (nurses) are exemplary, technically excellent and they have been equally competent in attending to the trauma in my body and soul.”
The star was eventually flown to an American hospital, where she underwent eight-hour surgery to repair her broken leg. Judd spent months in intensive physical therapy to regain the ability to walk.
Five months after her accident, Judd shared photos of herself hiking in the Swiss National Park and thanked the people who helped her with her recovery.
“My leg will never be the same,” Judd wrote. “She’s a newbie. And i love her. We are friends. We’ve come a long way and have an amazing life ahead of us. I was loved and understood and helped in my healing.”
In January 2022, Judd completed a 25-mile hike to mark the 11-month anniversary of her accident.
Last October, Judd revealed that she suffered another leg injury over the summer, which she says was the result of clumsiness associated with grief following the death of her mother.
During a series of talks in collaboration with Friends at UCLA’s Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior, Judd recalled the “unusual accident” that broke her femoral condyle near her knee last summer, just months after her Mother Naomi Judd, 76, died by suicide, told the Hollywood Reporter.
Judd said she was the one who found her mother at the country star’s Tennessee home on April 30, 2022.
The actress said her recent leg injury wasn’t serious and healed in “a snap in two months,” which actually made her pause to grieve.
“It was what it was,” she said. “Clumsiness is associated with grief and after my mother died there were other people in our family who fell down stairs and had accidents and mine was just like that. It really allowed me to grieve. It really allowed me to stop what I was working on and grieve.”
If you or someone you know is having thoughts of suicide, please contact the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline at 988 or 1-800-273-TALK (8255).
