Kathy Elliston.
A helicopter ride on a sunny June afternoon in 2021 to capture wedding photos in a South Island mountain setting was supposed to be a picturesque celebration of love, but instead dramatically changed the course of Kerikeri photographer Rachel Jordan’s life.
When Rachel, 43, first spoke to the Weekly in 2021, she was three months into her recovery from multiple injuries sustained after the helicopter lost power and plummeted 100 metres to
the ground.
It took weeks in hospital and multiple surgeries to treat her fractured spine, seven broken ribs and sternum. One lung was half-lacerated by her ribs, her right wrist and bones in her feet and ankles were fractured, and she suffered a brain bleed.
Husband Eric and son Evan have been her rocks.
Now, just over two years since the accident, Rachel excitedly shares that while life will never be the same, she has made huge progress with her recovery and is back working as a wedding photographer.
“I was originally paralysed from the waist down. My physiotherapist tells me all the time I should be in a wheelchair,” says Rachel, who never gave up hope of returning to her beloved photography. “It was a huge driving force in my recovery.”
The accident has forced the multi award-winning photographer to adapt, but she is back doing what she loves from her studio, Rachel Jordan Portraits.
And with the help of her devoted husband Eric, she is also proud to be shooting ceremonies again.
“It’s a weird thing to say, but I think I shoot weddings better now,” she confides. “When I look at my work, I capture things in a different way because I am more interested in the real family moments.
“You don’t know how long you have in life, so to me, the family portraits are the most important because you just don’t know if you will see them again. It’s not just about beautiful photos.”
Rachel attributes her success to her positive attitude, being fit before the accident, having a healthy eating regime and her relentless work ethic with her rehab.
“It’s been one of the most life-changing experiences,” says Rachel, adding that relearning to walk has been a massive undertaking. “It’s the hardest journey I’ve ever done and I am extremely proud to have come as far as I have. It’s a lifetime of continually battling uphill, but every day of my life, I will be doing rehab and trying to get better.
“I have always been the sort to go after my dreams. I knew I may not walk again, but you just have to go full in and hope for the best.
“When I left the hospital after 12 weeks, most of my muscles weren’t turned on. I could walk with a cage for a minute, but it would take everything out of me. Gradually I have built up and up. Now I can walk unassisted inside the house and with canes outside the house.”
While it’s challenged her more than she imagined possible, Rachel has refused to give up.
“I forced myself to get rid of the wheelchair and transition to the walker. It isn’t like a normal injury. You have to constantly push yourself out of your comfort zone to improve with these injuries. If you don’t, you will stay stagnant.”
And it’s all been worth it to feel her body starting to work again.
“I can’t believe I went from everything completely numb and paralysed to not having any numbness left,” she enthuses. “It is an amazing feeling. I can feel my body improving and getting stronger.”
Two years on, Rachel says, “I can walk unassisted inside the house and with canes outside.”
Reflecting on her journey, Rachel says, “I have had ups and downs emotionally, but for the most part, I always think I am lucky. Focusing on what I can work, what is improving and how lucky I am to have my son and my husband and my friends, I think this is one of the main reasons I have done so well.”
Talking about her now 12-year-old son Evan and how he has grown from this experience, Rachel beams.
“He has matured from this and learned so much about life. He has a completely different appreciation for people with disabilities and is a huge part of my support team. If I am feeling down, he says to me, ‘Mum, it is just temporary.'”
Having overcome so much already, Rachel feels she’s been given a second chance and she plans to use every moment of it.
“Life goes on and if you love doing something, you just have to keep trying to do it. Me doing wedding photography would have seemed like the impossible, but I can still do things you wouldn’t expect.”
