PORTSMOUTH, Va. (WAVY) — A local woman who was injured while on vacation now needs the community’s help.
Cierra Redman, 36, was riding ATVs with her dad in a remote part of Washington state when she hit a rough patch that threw her 75 feet down the side of a cliff. The ATV fell on top of her.
“She has a severed spine, [and] we found out she is paralyzed from the waist down yesterday,” said Redman’s mom, Diana Shue-Willis, on Wednesday. “She has a fractured vertebra, a dislocated shoulder, she’s got a couple broken ribs, she has collapsed lungs.”
Redman was taken by helicopter to the nearest hospital, which was three hours away in Spokane. She’s on a ventilator now and hasn’t been able to speak yet.
“We have like a picture board with letters on a piece of paper so she can spell out words. Which is good, because it means there is no brain damage,” Shue-Willis said.
Redman will stay at least three months in the hospital. Her family is devastated, but happy she’s still alive.
“Right now, I’m just emotionally drained,” Shue-Willis said.
Redman works for HRT, more recently operating the Tide—a job she loved. Managers have been in contact with the family, setting her up on disability, and telling her she will have a job whenever she comes back.
“That, to me, is just absolutely wonderful,” Shue-Willis said. “You couldn’t ask for a better employer.”
They say Redman is normally an upbeat person, making jokes and is a friend to everyone. The news of her paralysis was shocking when she woke up, but her family is doing their best to comfort her.
“I think she’s overwhelmed by that, but we had talked to her and said, ‘You know, it’s OK, you have another 50 years to live, you’re going to have a happy life,” Shue-Willis said. “It’s just going to be a little different.”
HRT, in a statement, said everyone there is saddened to hear about her accident:
Cierra Redman is a rail operator for Hampton Roads Transit’s Tide light rail after starting with HRT as a bus operator in February 2024. She is a valued member of our team, and the close-knit HRT family is saddened to hear about this accident while she was on vacation. We are all hopeful for a speedy recovery. Cierra embodies the best of HRT in operational skills and customer service. We have been in touch with her family, and HRT is doing everything we can to support the family during this difficult time, including arrangements for disability and medical leave so she can recover.
The entire HRT family has Cierra and her son in our thoughts and prayers. We encourage employees and the public to support the GoFundMe account established by her family at: https://gofund.me/d455cf8c.
— Hampton Roads Transit statement
The family has set up a GoFundMe account to help get ahead of hospital bills and take care of Cierra’s apartment, car, utilities, and everything else until she returns home. They say any help is appreciated.
