The parents of a Garden City mother are sharing their story as a warning after their daughter was partially paralyzed in a sledding accident at Middlebelt Hill in Hines Park earlier this year.
In February, Jessica Wollweber was sledding at the hill with her 10-year-old daughter when she crashed headfirst into a tree. She suffered multiple fractures in her face and back and a traumatic brain injury.
“When she got to the hospital, she was maybe there for an hour, and they had to remove part of her skull because her brain was so swollen,” said Jessica’s father, Matthew Maley.
Maley said Jessica suffered a stroke shortly after the accident and became paralyzed on the left side of her body. He said it took her four months before she regained her ability to speak.
“For the month leading up to that, we were trying to work with Jessica on saying words that would maybe come out more easily. I said, ‘Jess, say “mom,” something simple,’ and she said, ‘mom,’” Maley said. “It was definitely a tear-jerker.”
More than nine months after the accident, Jessica has undergone 13 brain surgeries, is still paralyzed on her left side, has no use of her hands, and remains in inpatient rehab.
“Just two weeks ago, I sold my car to buy a handicap-accessible van so we can bring Jessica home on weekends for a different environment,” Maley said.
Her family is hopeful her paralysis won’t be permanent.
“I told her we’re going to get through this together,” Maley said. “There are people who come through it, and she’s strong enough that I totally believe she’ll come through it. Whether it’s in the next month or the next year, we’re going to continue to work hard to get her back to where she was.”
After three others were injured on the hill the week after Jessica’s accident, Wayne County temporarily closed Middlebelt Hill.
Since then, the county has set up barricades and installed “no sledding” signs on parts of the hill.
Despite the new signage, families were still sledding Sunday afternoon after the weekend snowfall.
While Jessica’s family is relieved to see the county taking action, they urge families to take the warnings seriously.
“We don’t want people to not have fun, but if we can save one person from going through what we’re going through, then it’s a victory,” Maley said.
“Areas of the hill are clearly marked with barricades and a ‘no sledding’ sign,” Wayne County Parks said in a statement to Local 4. “We ask visitors to respect posted signage and prioritize safety while enjoying winter activities.”
Jessica’s family started the Facebook group Jessica Wollweber’s Journey to Recovery to share her progress. A GoFundMe for Jessica has raised more than $29,000.
Copyright 2025 by WDIV ClickOnDetroit – All rights reserved.
Comments are closed.