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Support continues to pour in for a Mount Sinai equestrian who was critically injured in a riding accident last month at a horse show in New Jersey.
Jennifer Post Rudolph, a longtime horse riding instructor and professional equestrian, was left a tetraplegic following the accident, which occurred while she was cantering on a horse she was familiar with, her family said.
She underwent spinal surgery and is receiving daily therapy in an acute spinal rehabilitation center, working to gradually regain function in her limbs.
A GoFundMe campaign launched by Rudolph’s niece Eliza DeCarlo has drawn nearly 200 contributions and raised more than $28,000 as of Saturday morning.
“She will require a handicap van with a lift, a specialized wheelchair she can operate with her forehead, and extensive modifications to her home,” reads DeCarlo’s statement on the fundraiser page. “Additional equipment, continual rehab, around-the-clock nurses, and mounting medical bills are among the biggest challenges.”
Longtime Mount Sinai resident
Rudolph has lived in Mount Sinai for more than three decades with her husband Bobby and sons Jake and Alex. Her love for horses began at an early age, and when she and her husband purchased their home decades ago, they chose a property that could accommodate a paddock, DeCarlo told Greater Long Island.
“My aunt — and godmother — has dedicated her life to horses and teaching others how to ride,” her niece said to Greater Long Island. “She is receiving therapy every day and we’re seeing progress every week, but there’s still a long road ahead. Each spinal cord injury is unique, and so is the recovery.”
Rudolph’s husband and her sister Christina have been by her side around the clock, first in the hospital and now at the rehab center. The family is researching the best long-term care option for Rudolph on Long Island, once she’s released from the New Jersey facility.
“She wants to spread the word to always take safety precautions seriously while riding,” her niece added.
