Social media influencer suffers traumatic head injury following horse accident in Arizona

PHOENIX (3TV/CBS 5) - A well-known 27-year-old influencer is recovering in the hospital after suffering a traumatic head injury while working in Arizona. Her family says it happened after her horse spun and fell on top of her. She’s been in the ICU for a week, but her dad tells Arizona’s Family she is slowly making progress.

Marino Sperandeo says his daughter, Emmie, will soon be moving into the neurological ward, where she will go through extensive physical therapy. He says the accident happened just a month after she was thrown from a bucking horse that left her with a concussion and a broken finger.

Sperandeo says Emmie has always had a love for animals. He says she was inspired by Western living and her social media knowledge, which drove her to become an influencer. “Pretty much all of her income is derived from social media efforts,” he said.

Thousands have been following her journey for several years. She’s traveled and worked in several different continents, countries and states. Most recently, she was sharing her journey from Montana to Arizona. But last week, her dad says Emmie was involved in an accident involving one of her horses. “She was holding on to the horse and was whip lashed by the horse as it fell sideways. That caused her head to hit the floor,” he said.

Sperandeo says her horse fell on top of her and fractured her head in two different places. “It hit hard enough that people from 100 yards away could hear the impact of her head on the ground,” he said.

Right now, he says all she can remember are memories from 7 to 14 years ago. Another aspect that has her family worried is that by law, she was dropped from her family’s insurance after turning 26. “She’s 27 now and since then she got dropped off my insurance probably less than a year ago. When that happened I don’t know if she went out and got the Affordable Care Act or got Medicare or supplemental health insurance,” Sperandeo said.

While there are so many questions about financials and recovery, Emmie’s dad says there is no doubt her hundreds of thousands of followers have provided love and support. “She’s a tough kid but she’s got a long road ahead of her,” he said.

Emmie has several animals, and her family is working to figure out how to get the dog and horses from Arizona to Florida, where they live. They say her bison will most likely have to go to Montana.

If you’d like to donate, you can visit their GoFundMe here.

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