The worst injuries sometimes occur off-the-field.
NFL photographer Kelly Smiley fractured her spine after falling backwards off a stage while working the Los Angeles Rams’ Feb. 13 Super Bowl victory parade. Smiley—who also photographed the Rams’ win over the Cincinnati Bengals days earlier—fell off the platform as she was setting up a shot of quarterback Matthew StaffordHis wife Kelly StaffordThis caused the mother of four to race to make sure she was OK.
Smiley, who was rushed to the hospital. tweeted that she suffered injuries to her spine and also broke her two cameras.
“Feeling ok. Staying the night in the trauma center,” the photographer wrote in a Story shared to her professional Instagram Feb. 17. Thank you for all your support.
An acquaintance of Smiley (who shared pictures of her hospital experience via her Instagram account, as well one asking “How are I supposed to fall like that lol”) created a GoFundMe page in order to raise minimum $30,000 to cover her “growing medical expenses” and to repair the damaged gear she suffered from the fall.