FOLLOW-UP TO PREVIOUS STORY DONE IN 2005

Pregnant skydiver survives death-defying plunge; takes new step in recovery three years later

Facial surgery scheduled Friday, Dec. 5, 2008

Dec. 3, 2008

A Joplin, Mo. woman is taking the next step in her recovery from a parachute malfunction accident that happened in December 2005. Almost three years ago to the day, Shayna Richardson (West) will undergo facial plastic and reconstructive surgery at St. John's Hospital in Springfield, Mo. to reconstruct a depression one side of her face and repair nasal deformities. St. John's Clinic facial plastic and reconstructive surgeons Drs. Matthew Kienstra and Keith LaFerriere will perform the surgery at no cost beyond insurance coverage provided by TriCare. The hospital and anesthesiologists are also chipping in.

"We participate in a program called Face to Face, a national Domestic Violence Project that offers individuals who have been affected by domestic violence the hope of wholeness by treating facial injuries," explained Dr. LaFerriere. "When we met Shayna, we realized that even though she wasn't hurt by domestic violence, she has been struggling and living with the facial deformities caused by her horrific accident. And her husband is deployed in Iraq. We just wanted to do something for her."

West was making her 10th dive and first solo jump with a brand new parachute on a December day 2005 when things suddenly went wrong. Her main chute and her reserve failed to open properly and she spiraled out of control, falling thousands of feet. She landed face-first in a parking lot and lived to tell about it. It was estimated she was going 50 mph at impact. Her fall was caught on tape by a camera in her instructor's helmet.

West originally had four operations and had 15 plates put into her face. She also suffered two breaks in her pelvis and a broken right fibula. 

She learned in the emergency room that she was two weeks pregnant at the time. The baby survived the free fall and was born the following June.

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Video footage of Shayna's surgery (taking place at 7:30 a.m. CST Friday, Dec. 5, 2008 at St. John's) will be available Friday afternoon. To arrange an interview or to come on-site for her surgery, contact Cora Scott, St. John's Media Relations Director, at 417-820-2426 or cora.scott@mercy.net.