A NOTABLE RICKE AVERY, A GREENFIELD WOMAN WHO WAS BURIED ALIVE DURING LAST MONTH’S TORNADO, CAN SOON LEAVE THE HOSPITAL. THE EF4 TORNADO HITS DIXIE DINGMAN’S HOUSE, BREAKING TEN RIBS AND HIS SPINE. ONLY AT KCCI. OUR PEPPER PEREIRA SPOKE WITH GRANDMA DIXIE TODAY AT THE HOSPITAL, AND PEPPER, SHE IS VERY WELL. THAT’S HOW IT IS. KAYLA. GRANDMA DIXIE ACTUALLY CONSIDERED A MIRACLE. SHE SAYS THAT HER LIFE WAS SAVED THANKS TO HER LIFESTYLE, GOOD TIME AND HER FAITH. AND I SAW THE BASEMENT WALL FACING ME LIKE THIS. AND I SAID LORD, AM I GOING TO DIE? DIXIE DINGMAN RAN TO HER BASEMENT WHEN SHE SAW THE SKY TURNED GREEN OVER GREENFIELD. I SAW GREEN, GREEN SKIES AND I THINK I’D BETTER GO TO THE BASEMENT. Halfway up his staircase, the tornado leveled his house. WHEN I SAW THAT WALL COMING TOWARD ME, THAT’S WHEN I KNEW THINGS WERE NOT WELL. Oh, that was horrible. I DON’T WANT TO SEE THAT SIDE AGAIN. I TELL YOU THAT. As terrifying as it was, being crushed by a part of his house, that wall may have saved DINGMAN’s life. I didn’t get to where I was going, but it turned out they would have killed me down there. THIS IS WHAT IS LEFT OF THE HOUSE. MOST OF THE BASEMENT WAS BLOWN UP. THIS DEBRIS IS WHERE THEY FOUND DINGMAN, BUT THEY ALSO PROTECTED HER FROM THE VIOLENT WINDS. VERY SOON I HEARD SOMEONE SAY, DIXIE, ARE YOU DOWN? OH YEAH. AM. BUT THE HORRORS OF THEIR JOURNEY WERE ONLY BEGINNING. THE DEBRIS BROKE TEN RIBS AND HIS BACK, IN ADDITION TO CAUSING DOZENS OF MINOR INJURIES. I WAS IN A LOT OF PAIN AND THEY COULD NOT GIVE ME ANYTHING. I JUST HAD TO STAND. HIS hers. AND HE ARRIVED AT THE HOSPITAL ABOUT AN HOUR AFTER THE STORM. BUT HIS WOUNDS DEMANDED ATTENTION. THAT WAS IN DES MOINES, HE SAYS. THE ONGOING STORMS STOPPED LIFE. FLIGHTS INTO THE CITY, SO AN AMBULANCE FOLLOWED HER TO Iowa METHODIST, TAKING THE NECESSARY ROUTE. I ASKED HIM, HOW DID YOU TAKE THE RAILWAY TRACKS IN THAT AMBULANCE? THREE WEEKS LATER, DINGMAN’S SURGERIES ARE DONE AND HE IS BEING PHYSICAL THERKeynoteUSAY. THEY ARE AMAZED AT HOW FAST I AM HEALING. THE SECRET TO YOUR FAST RECOVERY. GRANDMA DIXIE’S HABIT OF WALKING SIX MILES EVERY DAY. I WOULD NOT HAVE MADE IT IF. IF I WOULD NOT HAVE DOING THAT. AND GRANDMA DIXIE WILL LEAVE THE HOSPITAL ON TUESDAY. SHE WILL STAY WITH ONE OF HER DAUGHTERS WHILE CONTINUES
‘I just had to tough it out’: Greenfield tornado survivor ‘Grandma Dixie’ to leave hospital
Dixie Dingman underwent multiple surgeries and was kept in the ICU for more than a week. She is now undergoing physical therapy and will be discharged on Tuesday.
Updated: 11:55 pm CDT June 15, 2024
Multimedia reporter/journalist
“Grandma Dixie,” who suffered serious injuries, including 10 broken ribs and a fractured spine in last month’s Greenfield tornado, 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 is an avid Iowa State fan and health enthusiast, and she walks six miles almost every day. Around 3:30 p.m. on May 21, Dingman, 79, was on her treadmill finishing her last mile of the day when she noticed the sky becoming overcast. Greenfield turns green. She rushed to the basement, but only made it halfway up the stairs when the tornado hit her house. “I saw the basement wall coming towards me… and I said, sir, I’m going to die,” Dingman told KCCI. The basement wall crushed her, breaking her ribs and back in the process. She may have saved her life too. Much of her home was swept away by the tornado, but debris piled above Dingman helped protect her from the violent storm. “I didn’t get to where I was going, but it turned out that there would have been murdered down there,” Dingman said. With only his right arm sticking out of what was left of his collapsed house, Dingman waved for help. Crews used a chainsaw to cut through the debris and free her. Dingman said the pain was unbearable as people tried to maneuver her injured body out of the debris. “I was in a lot of pain and they couldn’t give me anything, I just had to hold on,” Dingman said. Instead, an ambulance braved the storms. and took whatever route was necessary to get Dingman to Iowa Methodist Medical Center. Dingman said he asked the paramedic behind the wheel why the ambulance was driving on the railroad tracks for part of the trip. At the hospital, Dingamn underwent multiple surgeries, keeping her in the ICU for more than a week. She is now in physical therapy and plans to leave on Tuesday. Ella Dingman said her daily walks and her 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 return to her daily walks soon. A GoFundMe can be found here to help Dingman cover her medical expenses.
DES MOINES, Iowa—
“Grandma Dixie,” who suffered serious injuries, including 10 broken ribs and a fractured spine in last month’s Greenfield tornado, has recovered enough to be released from the hospital after nearly four weeks.
Dixie Dingman, known as “Grandma Dixie,” has lived in Greenfield for almost 50 years. She is an avid Iowa State fan and health enthusiast, and she walks six miles almost every day.
On May 21, Dingman, 79, was on his treadmill finishing his last mile of the day when he noticed the sky over Greenfield turning green. He rushed to the basement, but only made it halfway up the stairs when the tornado hit his house.
“I saw the basement wall coming towards me… and I said, sir, I’m going to die,” Dingman told KCCI.
The basement wall crushed her, breaking her ribs and back in the process. It may also have saved his life. Much of the house was leveled by the tornado, but debris piled above Dingman helped protect it from the violent storm.
“I didn’t get to where I was going, but it turned out they would have killed me down there,” Dingman said.
With only his right arm sticking out of what was left of his collapsed house, Dingman waved for help. Crews used a chainsaw to cut through the debris and free her. Dingman said the pain was unbearable as people tried to maneuver her injured body out of the rubble.
“I was in a lot of pain and they couldn’t give me anything, I just had to tough it out,” Dingman said.
She was eventually taken to Guthrie County Hospital, but the care Dingman needed required transportation to Des Moines. Bad weather continued to batter Iowa, preventing a lifesaving flight from taking her to the city. Instead, an ambulance braved the storms and took whatever route was necessary to get Dingman to Iowa Methodist Medical Center. Dingman said he asked the paramedic behind the wheel why the ambulance was driving on railroad tracks for part of the trip.
At the hospital, Dingamn underwent multiple surgeries, which kept her in the ICU for more than a week. She is now in physical therapy and plans to leave on Tuesday.
Dingman said her daily walks and her Christian faith gave her the strength to endure the pain of her injuries and are now helping her make progress during her therapy sessions. She hopes to return to her daily walks soon.
A GoFundMe to help Dingman cover his medical expenses can be found here.
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