Community rallies around teen severely injured in sledding accident at Hinckley Hill

HINCKLEY TWP. — Three days after 17-year-old Natalie Wilson suffered a severe back injury while sledding, friends, family and the community have come out in full force to support the teen and her family. Two GoFundMe accounts were started to help the Hinckley family defray the costs of Natalie's medical bills, one by her aunt, Amy Cain, and uncle, Ken Wilson, and one by her employer, Nelson Schorr. As of Wednesday evening, the two accounts had raised more than $8,000 in just under 48 hours. Natalie's father, Jim Wilson, said while he hasn't been paying close attention to how the donations have been going, he was blown away by the immediate support. "Every little bit helps," Wilson said. "It's been humbling and overwhelming in a good way. You always hear about this kind of stuff. The community coming together and being the wind beneath your wings. It's what gets you through times like this." Wilson said after the accident Sunday night at Hinckley Hill in the Cleveland Metroparks Hinckley Reservation, friends almost immediately met him and the family at the hospital to keep them company and help take their minds off what happened, even if just for a moment. Natalie had several surgeries to repair her back and assess the damage to internal organs and other parts of the body immediately following the accident. It is believed icy conditions on the hill led to Natalie spinning out of control as she rapidly descended, crashing into a tree. As of Wednesday night, the hill remains open although weather conditions will make sledding hard as the snow is rapidly melting. Wilson previously said it's easy for sledders to get pulled to the right while going down the hill, taking them into a tree line. He said he would like to see some kind of fencing or barrier erected to prevent future accidents, or if that can't happen, for authorities to close the hill when conditions warrant. The Cleveland Metroparks has jurisdiction over the park. "Our thoughts are with the families impacted by the tragic sledding incidents that occurred over the weekend," Jacqueline Gerling, communications director for the Metroparks, said in a Monday statement. "We are looking into these incidents and the circumstances around these events." In the meantime, the Wilson family remains hopeful for a full recovery. Wilson said his daughter is beginning to feel tingling in her legs and there is some movement in her toes. She had a scare Wednesday morning, though, as Wilson said Natalie's vitals suddenly dropped sharply and she suffered a minor seizure. Doctors immediately intubated her, fearing she had a possible blood clot that was later ruled out. The father said everyone involved is "still scratching their head" as doctors ruled out anything wrong with her heart, which they expected at first. He said doctors said it could be spinal shock, but that had yet to be confirmed. He said his daughter probably still will be intubated for the next few days until she's able to start breathing better on her own. Despite this scare, Wilson said doctors told him they are "cautiously optimistic" that Natalie will be able to pull through and possibly walk again, given her age and not having any underlying health concerns. Contact reporter Jack Kopanski at (330) 721-4063 or jkopanski@medina-gazette.com.