Chandler woman recovers after 70-foot fall while snowboarding

Woman's road to recovery after snowboarding accident

A young Chandler woman is recovering from a traumatic brain injury after falling 70 feet off a cliff while snowboarding in northern Arizona months ago. FOX 10's Marc Martinez has the details.

PHOENIX - A young Chandler woman is recovering from a traumatic brain injury after falling 70 feet off a cliff while snowboarding in northern Arizona months ago.

What we know:

Izzy Siniscalchi, 20, was snowboarding at Arizona Snowbowl in January when she fell. She was not wearing a helmet and suffered severe brain swelling.

Siniscalchi spent three weeks in the hospital before transferring to Barrow Neurological Institute in Phoenix for rehabilitation.

"I’ve been really fortunate with the physical therapists and nurses I’ve had, and doctors," Siniscalchi said. "I do physical therapy, speech therapy, occupational and psychology."

Izzy Siniscalchi. Photo courtesy of Barrow Neurological Institute

Siniscalchi said she doesn't remember the fall, which took five hours to rescue her from. She was on a trip with friends and had been skiing before, but it was only her second time using her new snowboarding equipment when the accident occurred.

"I’ve skied before, actually," she said. "For my birthday, my parents got me a new snowboard and a whole outfit and stuff and boots and everything, and then I wore it one time, and then the second time I wore it was at the bottom of the mountain."

Izzy Siniscalchi. Photo courtesy of Barrow Neurological Institute

Big picture view:

Despite the serious nature of her injury, Siniscalchi has maintained her sense of humor. She said she joked with her friends about going back to the slopes this season.

"Nobody thought the joke was funny, and I thought it was funny because it happened to me and I can joke about it, but my friends, it happened to their friend, and yeah they didn’t think it was very funny," she said.

Siniscalchi said she has learned to walk and speak again and continues to undergo therapy. Physically, she had no other injuries, which she said was surprising after a 70-foot fall.

"Walking, I wasn’t able to do," Siniscalchi said. "Physically, I actually didn’t have any injuries physically, which is really surprising, falling 70 feet, but I wasn’t able to walk right away."

Izzy Siniscalchi. Photo courtesy of Barrow Neurological Institute

Before the accident, she worked as a barista and spent time with friends. Now, she is adjusting to a new normal.

"It’s changed a lot, the independence. I’m never alone. I can’t drive myself, so if I want to go or see anything, do anything, I have to rely on somebody else to be there," she said. "I also can’t cook without supervision."

Siniscalchi's ultimate goal is to drive again so she can return to work and school. She has no plans to ski or snowboard again in the future.

Her advice to others hitting the slopes: "Wear a helmet, wear a helmet."

Siniscalchi wanted to thank everyone who has helped her, including doctors, nurses, family and friends.

She said some of her favorite things to do now are hanging out with friends and watching "The Summer I Turned Pretty" on Amazon Prime Video once a week with her aunt.