DAVENPORT, Iowa — A Rapids City firefighter injured in the line of duty is ready to return home after "graduating" physical therapy.
Mary Beth Eggers was part of a crew that responded to the July 15 call of a few trees on fire in Hillsdale when a large branch fell on her, pinning her underneath.
"We recognized that there wasn't a whole lot we could do, so we kind of were assessing the situation," Eggers said. "I heard the cracks. We all heard the cracks. We knew what it was. I just didn't have the wherewithal to look up and figure out which way to run, nor did I run fast enough."
Eggers, also a Genesis EMT, broke six ribs, punctured a lung and basically shattered her hip to her pelvic girdle. She was transported to University of Iowa hospitals for treatment.
"I had some moments that were pretty low when I was in the hospital," she said.
On July 30, Eggers was transferred to Genesis where she began her rehab process and physical therapy. Every day, she's been working with the team to regain movements.
"I was amazed from day one how much she was able to do on her own, her motivation to do as much as she could on her own, and just her perseverance through her pain," one of her physical therapists Julie Evans said. "Even from day one, she only missed one or two things, and she was frustrated at herself for forgetting one or two of her precautions, and she's like, 'I won't forget that again.'"
The Rapids City community and beyond have rallied around Eggers during her recovery, sending her well wishes. It makes Eggers tear up to talk about it.
"The outpouring of support and love, it gave me so much power and strength to move on," she said. "I feel a little selfish, I got to admit. I feel like, you know, let's move on, let's find someone else who needs this strength. But I'm not going to lie, I'm going to go back to every card, every message, every bit of support that people have thrown my way and use it. I'm going to use it when I'm down."
She knows she has a long road to recovery left. Eggers said movement in her right leg is still minimal and uncomfortable, but she credits that community support for her latest milestone. On Wednesday, she will "graduate" from physical therapy at Genesis and can go home.
"Julie said maybe we should have a bell to ring or something, but I have my figurative bell. It's up here," Eggers said pointing to her mind. "It'll be ringing tomorrow and I'll be so happy to be home to that small community. It's a small community that's huge that's rallying around me, and I want to make them proud."