Unfortunate Update

So it's twenty past two in the morning and I'm having trouble sleeping so I figured now would be better time than ever to make this post.

Wednesday afternoon I wanted to try to prove to my nephew Noah that there was nothing to be afraid of going down the biggest slide in Delamont. Maybe I had too much bravado, maybe I felt I had something to prove because I always chickened out of these things as a kid, I don't know. But I went down the slide first.

If you don't know the slide in question, it's mounted on a steep hill and is a tunnel. The only photo I could find is an old one, but it's the exact same as pictured except it's a tube the whole way down now. I flew down the slide so fast I didn't have a chance to think about how I'd get off at the bottom, and thus when I put my feet down at the end, the sheer speed sent flying, breaking my ankle in multiple places in the process.

Now, I'm a grown woman. I was trying to prove to my nephew this slide was safe. Clearly it is not. It is far too fast, too steep, with no safety matt at the bottom. I don't know what after effects this break will have on my life. I'm awaiting surgery. If this can happen to an adult, what could it do to a child? I've been told by the staff at the Downe that they get cases from that slide all the time. The medic at the park said that there was a time people were going down that slide head first. This isn't an isolated incident and I personally think it's about time that slide was retired.

But I don't want to be totally miserable here. When I broke my ankle, getting back up the hill was a nightmare, and a lovely family helped me out. I wish I knew their names, but I hope good karma comes their way. The wonderful Mum of the family got her husband to help me up the hill, she got the medic, and she even gave me one of her kids sugar tablets because I'd thrown up with the shock and had apparently gone pale as a ghost. Two elderly ladies also gave my sister the number for urgent care. I wish I had gotten their names, I really do, but unfortunately it was the last thing on my mind at the time. But if you're out there, I'm eternally grateful for your kindness. My sister and I wouldn't have gotten me up that hill alone. I will try to pay that kindness forward as soon as I'm able.

I'm haunted by the idea of what could have happened if Noah had gone first. I would rather this be me than him and I'm glad I went first. But this should NOT have happened. Not where children play. Not when the Down hospital staff knew the exact slide I was talking about because there have been so many incidents. Not when the park medic told me that it had been closed for a while because people were going down it head first.

Delamont also need to reassess their medical assistance. There's no way I'm the first injury at that park, and because the park is down a hill there needs to be a method of getting a person to the exit such as a stretcher. It also needs to be more common knowledge that wiggling toes does not mean you haven't got a break. I should have been in hospital that day but the medic told me to go home and monitor it because I could move my toes.

Please, please, please be careful with your children. I would discourage letting them onto that slide at all. It's just not safe. If I can get one thing out of this maybe I can stop at least one person from going through what I have.