A REMARKABLE RICKE AVERY, A GREENFIELD WOMAN WHO WAS BURIED ALIVE DURING LAST MONTH’S TORNADO, CAN SOON LEAVE THE HOSPITAL. THE EF4 TORNADO HIT DIXIE DINGMAN’S HOME, BREAKING TEN OF HER RIBS AND HER SPINE. ONLY ON KCCI. OUR PEPPER PEREIRA SPOKE WITH GRANDMA DIXIE TODAY AT THE HOSPITAL, AND PEPPER, SHE’S DOING REALLY WELL. THAT’S RIGHT. KAYLA. GRANDMA DIXIE ACTUALLY COUNTS HERSELF AS A MIRACLE. SHE SAYS HER LIFE WAS SAVED THANKS TO HER LIFESTYLE, GOOD TIMING AND HER FAITH. AND I SAW THE BAsem*nT WALL COMING AT ME LIKE THIS. AND I SAID, LORD, AM I GOING TO DIE? DIXIE DINGMAN RAN FOR HER BAsem*nT WHEN SHE SAW THE SKIES TURN GREEN OVER GREENFIELD. I SAW GREEN, GREEN SKIES AND I THINK I BETTER GO TO THE BAsem*nT. HALFWAY DOWN HER STAIRWELL, THE TORNADO RIPPED INTO HER HOME. WHEN I SAW THAT WALL COME AT ME, THAT’S WHEN I KNEW THINGS WERE NOT GOOD. OH, THAT WAS HORRIFIC. I DON’T WANT TO EVER SEE THAT SIDE AGAIN. I’LL TELL YOU THAT. SCARY AS IT WAS, BEING CRUSHED BY A PART OF HER HOUSE THAT WALL MAY HAVE SAVED DINGMAN’S LIFE. I DIDN’T GET TO THE PLACE I WAS HEADED FOR, BUT AS IT TURNED OUT, I WOULD HAVE BEEN KILLED DOWN THERE. THIS IS WHAT’S LEFT OF THE HOUSE. MOST OF THE BAsem*nT WAS BLOWN AWAY. THIS RUBBLE IS WHERE DINGMAN WAS FOUND, BUT ALSO PROTECTING HER FROM THE VIOLENT WINDS. PRETTY SOON I HEARD SOMEBODY SAY, DIXIE, ARE YOU DOWN THERE WERE. OH, YES. I AM. BUT THE HORRORS OF HER JOURNEY WERE JUST BEGINNING. DEBRIS BROKE TEN OF HER RIBS AND BACK, AS WELL AS CAUSING DOZENS OF MORE MINOR INJURIES. I WAS IN SO MUCH PAIN AND THEY COULDN’T GIVE ME ANYTHING. I JUST HAD TO ENDURE. HER. AND SHE ARRIVED AT THE HOSPITAL AROUND AN HOUR AFTER THE STORM. BUT HER WOUNDS CALLED FOR CARE. THAT WAS IN DES MOINES, SHE SAYS. ONGOING STORMS STOPPED LIFE. FLIGHTS INTO THE CITY, SO AN AMBULANCE TRACKED HER TO IOWA METHODIST, TAKING WHATEVER ROUTE WAS NECESSARY. I ASKED HIM, HOW COME YOU TOOK THE RAILROAD TRACKS IN THAT AMBULANCE? THREE WEEKS LATER, DINGMAN SURGERIES ARE DONE AND SHE’S UNDERGOING PHYSICAL THERAPY. THEY ARE AMAZED AT HOW FAST I’M HEALING. THE SECRET TO HER QUICK RECOVERY. GRANDMA DIXIE’S HABIT OF WALKING SIX MILES EVERY DAY. I WOULDN’T HAVE MADE IT IF. IF I HADN’T BEEN DOING THAT. AND GRANDMA DIXIE IS SET TO LEAVE THE HOSPITAL ON TUESDAY. SHE’LL BE STAYING WITH ONE OF HER DAUGHTERS WHILE SHE CONTINUES
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'I just had to endure': Greenfield tornado survivor 'Grandma Dixie' set to leave hospital
Dixie Dingman underwent multiple surgeries, keeping her in the ICU for more than a week. She's now in physical therapy and set to be released on Tuesday.
Pepper Purpura
Reporter/Multimedia Journalist
"Grandma Dixie," who suffered serious injuries including 10 broken ribs and a spine fracture in last month's Greenfield tornado, has recovered enough to leave the hospital after nearly four weeks.Dixie Dingman, known as "Grandma Dixie," has lived in Greenfield for almost 50 years. She's an avid Iowa State fan and health enthusiast, walking six miles nearly every day.Around 3:30 p.m. on May 21, the 79-year-old Dingman was on her treadmill finishing her final mile for the day when she noticed the skies over Greenfield turning green. She hustled to her basem*nt but only made it halfway down her stairs when the tornado struck her home."I saw the basem*nt wall coming at me ... and I said, lord, am I going to die," Dingman told KCCI.That basem*nt wall crushed her, breaking her ribs and back in the process. It may also have saved her life. Much of the home was blown away by the tornado, but the rubble piled on top of Dingman helped protect her from the violent storm."I didn't get to the place I was headed for, but as it turned out, I would have been killed down there," Dingman said.With just her right arm sticking out from what remained of her collapsed home, Dingman waved for help. Crews used a chainsaw to cut through the debris and free her. Dingman said the pain was excruciating as people tried to maneuver her injured body out of the wreckage."I was in so much pain and they couldn't give me anything, I just had to endure," Dingman said.Eventually, she was taken to the Guthrie County Hospital, but the care Dingman needed required a transport to Des Moines. Severe weather was still bombarding Iowa, preventing a life flight from taking her to the city. Instead, an ambulance braved the storms, taking whatever route necessary to get Dingman to the Iowa Medical Methodist Center. Dingman said she asked the EMT at the wheel why the ambulance was driving along railroad tracks during part of the trek.At the hosptial, Dingamn underwent multiple surgeries, keeping her in the ICU for more than a week. She is now in physical therapy and plans to leave Tuesday.Dingman said her daily walks and Christian faith gave her the strength to endure the pain of her injuries and are now helping her progress during her therapy sessions. She hopes to get back to her daily walks soon.A GoFundMe to help Dingman cover her medical expenses can be found here.
DES MOINES, Iowa —
"Grandma Dixie," who suffered serious injuries including 10 broken ribs and a spine fracture in last month's Greenfield tornado, has recovered enough to leave the hospital after nearly four weeks.
Dixie Dingman, known as "Grandma Dixie," has lived in Greenfield for almost 50 years. She's an avid Iowa State fan and health enthusiast, walking six miles nearly every day.
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Around 3:30 p.m. on May 21, the 79-year-old Dingman was on her treadmill finishing her final mile for the day when she noticed the skies over Greenfield turning green. She hustled to her basem*nt but only made it halfway down her stairs when the tornado struck her home.
"I saw the basem*nt wall coming at me ... and I said, lord, am I going to die," Dingman told KCCI.
That basem*nt wall crushed her, breaking her ribs and back in the process. It may also have saved her life. Much of the home was blown away by the tornado, but the rubble piled on top of Dingman helped protect her from the violent storm.
"I didn't get to the place I was headed for, but as it turned out, I would have been killed down there," Dingman said.
With just her right arm sticking out from what remained of her collapsed home, Dingman waved for help. Crews used a chainsaw to cut through the debris and free her. Dingman said the pain was excruciating as people tried to maneuver her injured body out of the wreckage.
"I was in so much pain and they couldn't give me anything, I just had to endure," Dingman said.
Eventually, she was taken to the Guthrie County Hospital, but the care Dingman needed required a transport to Des Moines. Severe weather was still bombarding Iowa, preventing a life flight from taking her to the city. Instead, an ambulance braved the storms, taking whatever route necessary to get Dingman to the Iowa Medical Methodist Center. Dingman said she asked the EMT at the wheel why the ambulance was driving along railroad tracks during part of the trek.
'She thought she might die': Greenfield grandmother recovering after tornado buried her alive
At the hosptial, Dingamn underwent multiple surgeries, keeping her in the ICU for more than a week. She is now in physical therapy and plans to leave Tuesday.
Dingman said her daily walks and Christian faith gave her the strength to endure the pain of her injuries and are now helping her progress during her therapy sessions. She hopes to get back to her daily walks soon.
A GoFundMe to help Dingman cover her medical expenses can be found here.
