Emma Paden is an avid climber, a long-time trail crew member with the Mountain Trails Foundation, an adaptive ski instructor for the National Ability Center, the manager of a local indoor rock climbing gym, and one of the strongest, kindest, most resilient people you’ll ever meet.
But on July 1st, while route setting at the climbing gym where she works, Emma fell approximately 35 feet and broke her back.
The fall resulted in a burst fracture of her T12 vertebra, additional fractures in her T10 and T11, a broken rib, and broken metatarsals in her foot (3rd through 5th). She was airlifted to the hospital in Salt Lake City and underwent a seven-hour spinal surgery, where doctors fused her spine from T9 to L1 using ten screws and two metal rods.
Emma now has limited mobility and sensation below the hips and is facing the biggest challenge of her life: adapting to life with a spinal cord injury.
Despite everything, Emma is staying strong. She’s committed to her recovery, but the path ahead is steep — physically, emotionally, and financially. Rebuilding her life will require ongoing medical care, adaptive equipment, accessibility modifications, and eventually, housing that will allow her to live independently.
That's why we're raising funds to help Emma transition out of the hospital and into a new chapter of her life — one filled with hope, mobility, and independence.
Every donation will go directly toward:
• Medical expenses
• Adaptive equipment for daily life
• Accessibility needs (such as a wheelchair-accessible home)
• Resources to support her independence and long-term quality of life
Let's show Emma she's not facing this alone.
- Donate here on GoFundMe.
- Or send donations directly to Emma on Venmo: @Emma-Paden
- Or send a check or money order to:
Emma Paden, 7777 Whileaway Rd., Park City, Utah 84098
Please write "donation" in the description or memo line.
Organizer and beneficiary
