In a harrowing account, Ashley Judd reveals the near-loss of her leg after a mishap in the Congolese rainforest, which required her to be evacuated on a motorbike.
During an Instagram Live session with New York Times columnist Nicholas Kristof, Judd describes being stranded on the ground for five hours with a severely deformed leg.
She recounts biting a stick to cope with the excruciating pain and howling like a wild animal.
Judd sustained the injury while accompanying researchers in the rainforest on an early morning expedition to locate bonobos.
Unfortunately, she tripped over a log, causing her tibia to shatter.
With the help of her companions, she was transported out of the rainforest using a hammock and taken back to camp.
From there, Judd was evacuated on a motorbike, with one person steering and another holding the fractured part of her tibia together.
The journey lasted a grueling six hours.
Describing the incident as a “catastrophic accident,” Judd admits that she nearly lost her leg.
Speaking from a hospital bed in South Africa, she highlights the privilege she has as a famous actor, emphasizing that without her status, she might have lost both her leg and her life during the 55-hour ordeal.
Judd emphasizes that one of the motivations behind sharing her story is to raise awareness about the conservation work she is involved in concerning bonobos in the Congo rainforests.
She believes it is essential to shed light on the importance of preserving these endangered
