'It's great to be home': Worthington's Albert recovering from luge accident
Renee Albert received the best birthday present she could have wished for.
Albert celebrated her 53rd birthday Friday by welcoming home her daughter, Adeline, who spent nearly a month in a hospital in Pyeongchang, South Korea, after suffering a traumatic brain injury Feb. 7 while training in the luge with the USA national team. Adeline is a sophomore at Thomas Worthington.
“It was my best birthday present ever,” Renee said. “I couldn’t have asked for anything more. She’s home, my husband is home. The gang is back together again and Adeline’s twin sister, Avah, is beyond happy and is a different kid because it’s been tough on her, too.”
Adeline was training with her two-man partner, Maggie Richardson, at the time of the accident in Seoul. Richardson, who is from Mount Vernon, was not injured.
Adeline underwent surgery the following day to relieve pressure on her brain and stop the bleeding. She spent several days in intensive care before undergoing a second surgery, a cranioplasty, Feb. 21 to repair an area of her skull.
“It’s great to be home,” she said. “I don’t remember the accident. I’ve been told about the accident and the things I may have said, but I don’t remember anything until two weeks after I was in the hospital.”
Adeline took a 14-hour flight home with her father, Rob, who flew to South Korea the day following the accident.
She had her first appointment at Nationwide Children’s Hospital on Monday with Dr. Jeffrey Leonard, chief of neurosurgery, and is scheduled to undergo an MRI on Thursday to determine the next step in her recovery.
Adeline said her headaches have subsided dramatically the last two weeks. She hopes to return to school soon.
“We’re still playing this lowkey and still saying those prayers and our graces, and hopefully we’re still taking those positive baby steps that we’ve been saying all along,” her mother said. “She’s doing phenomenal. She’s allowed to take slow walks with us.”
Adeline was introduced to the winter racing sport in 2017 during a local search for participants by USA Luge. She was named to the USA national training youth program in May 2019 and has been able to travel the world to compete and train.
She hopes to resume training and someday qualify for the Winter Olympics.
“I still love the sport so much,” she said. “It’s also better because I don’t remember the run (leading to the accident), so in a way that’s probably a good thing. I can’t wait until I can do it again.
“The day I might be able to get back on a sled, I’m sure it’s going to be a pretty hard day because it’s still going to be somewhat scary because the injury is not something to be taken lightly. But overall, it’s going to be great. It’s still my big dream.”
According to the official Olympics website, lugers can average speeds between 74 and 90 mph as they ride a flat sled through a course face up and feet first.
Adeline spent nearly her entire hospital stay with her dad at her bedside.
“He was completely by her side the whole time except for when she was in surgery,” Renee said. ”He stayed in her room with her.”
Once she was moved out of intensive care, the family had to hire a healthcare worker not affiliated with the hospital to provide personal care for Adeline at an out-of-pocket cost of $900 per week.
“It’s a very unique situation in South Korea,” Renee said. “When you come out of ICU in South Korea, you go to what they call general ward. The only thing the hospital provides is medical care. You’re required to hire a personal caregiver that you pay out of pocket. ... We still don’t know what the lady’s name is because she did not speak English. We call her Korean grandma because we don’t know her name.”
Renee estimates the hospital stay cost about $35,000, which she said will not be covered by the family's primary insurance company or by the United States Olympic and Paralympic Committee's insurance company. Renee said the family had to pay the entire bill out of pocket to get Adeline released from the hospital.
“Our coverage is only for domestic and that’s fine, we’ll figure it out,” Renee said. “We were unaware if there was or would not be international insurance coverage for such an incident. ... She’s home, she’s making progress. That’s the most important part. I don’t want to dampen the celebration of everything she’s gained and been able to push through and do.”
To help defray the cost of medical expenses, a family friend started a GiveSendGo fund at givesendgo.com/SupportingAdelineAlbert.
“We are extremely appreciative of everyone’s support from across the world in and outside the luge family,” Renee said.
Adeline also plays field hockey and was a member of the Thomas junior varsity team the last two seasons. It has yet to be determined when she can return to the sport.
Thomas field hockey coach Terri Simonetti Frost hopes the team can soon visit the family at their home.
“I’m super grateful for the community to continue to pray for her,” Simonetti Frost said. “I really believe in the power of prayer and I feel very strongly that we all came together and Addie is home. It’s absolutely amazing.”
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Ohio high school student recovering from South Korea luge accident
