In remote McCoy, Colorado, Charlene Kirby is recovering at home after an extraordinary test of survival that pushed her to her limits.
“It’s my life. I love this land,” Kirby told ABC affiliate KMGH at her ranch, which she described as being “in the middle of nowhere.”
The 75-year-old former EMT and ER nurse found herself in a life-threatening situation in early June while preparing for her grandson’s wedding. While working alone on her property, moving a trailer with a side-by-side utility vehicle, things took a dangerous turn.
“I was standing right behind the side-by-side, and I was pulling straight the trailer to straighten it out. And the side-by-side started running backwards over me,” Kirby said. “So I started running backwards, and then I turned to run, and that’s when I fell.”
The fall broke her femur — which runs from the hip to the knee — and Kirby immediately recognized the severity of her injury due to her medical background.
“You’re really not supposed to move a [broken] femur, because you could sever your femoral artery,” she said.
Despite the risks, Kirby had no choice but to move. From around 7 p.m. until 9:00 a.m. the next morning, she slowly made her way across her property.
“People asked me if I did the army crawl, and I said, No, I think it was more like the inch worm,” she said.
After 14 grueling hours, her son found her and called an ambulance.
“I had dirt in my nose, in my ears, on my teeth, in my hair, all down the front of me,” Kirby told KMGH.
The injury was severe — a complete break across her femur with multiple fragments. She spent three weeks in rehabilitation, but said her determination never wavered. When doctors told her she’d make it to her grandson’s wedding but wouldn’t be dancing, her response reflected her spirit: “Watch me.”
For Kirby, who spent 25 years as the area’s only first responder, survival came naturally. She attributed her survival to divine intervention.
“There’s no doubt in my mind, that’s because God was with me the whole time,” she said.
Back at her beloved ranch, Kirby reflected on living in McCoy.
“It’s not an easy life, but it’s a rewarding life.” she told KMGH.