Emily and family
What began as a fun-filled day at an amusement park took a tragic turn for the Hunt family in 1996. Emily Hunt and her grandmother, Nancy Jones, were riding a miniature train through the park grounds, when it unexpectedly came off its tracks, throwing its passengers from the car. The accident killed 57-year old Nancy Jones and left 4-year old Emily Hunt with serious injuries. After 101 days in the intensive care unit and rehabilitation hospital due to her numerous injuries, Emily was left paralyzed from the chest down with a complete spinal cord injury. While she controls movement of her arms, this condition is not expected to significantly improve over her lifetime. As a result of her injuries and paralysis, Emily requires assistance to breath through a tracheotomy and ongoing respiratory therapy to maintain her pulmonary functions. Today, Emily displays a courageous spirit and holds tight to her dream of one day becoming a professional dancer. The Emily Hunt Foundation, Inc. was established in 1998 in honor of Emily, and those like her, to raise money for spinal cord injury research.