Cheerleader expected to make full recovery after stunt fall at Magic game
ORLANDO, Fla. – Jamie Woode, the 31-year-old former cheerleader who was injured in a fall at Amway Arena Tuesday night, is in stable condition at a local hospital, according to the Associated Press. She suffered three vertebrae fractures and a broken rib when she fell head-first during an attempted stunt at the Magic game against the Knicks.
Woode is expected to make a full recovery.
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Those who watched the fall said the stunt leading up to the incident didn't go exactly as planned and seemed awkward, yet it was followed immediately by another stunt that involved Woode being thrown high up into the air. Woode's male stunt partner couldn't catch her and she fell. The arena filled with gasps and fell silent. Players from both the Magic and Knicks stood at their benches and looked on in worry.
Woode, a former cheerleader at the University of Central Florida, was lifted onto a gurney. She then reached up with both arms and waved as fans applauded her. She was then rushed through the concourse and out onto the sidewalk across from a parking garage.
As she and her teammate waited with medics for an ambulance, Woode was breathing on her own and speaking, though she appeared to be in considerable pain. She was eventually lifted into an ambulance, covered in a navy blue blanket and taken to the nearby Orlando Regional Medical Center with her partner, who didn't give his name, sitting in the passenger seat. He appeared greatly concerned and upset.
After the game, Magic coach Jacque Vaughn opened his remarks with concern about Woode. "I think our thoughts and prayers should be acknowledged for the young lady who fell before we talk about a little game of basketball," Vaughn said. "[We're] hoping and praying that she's OK. That's real life."
On Wednesday, the stunt team’s Facebook page was updated with Woode’s teammates photographed making heart symbols with their hands. "Hearts for Jamie!" a post read. "Thanks to everyone for your thoughts and prayers."
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