Additional details emerge on NFL photographer's injury at Rams parade

On3 imageby:Barkley Truax02/17/22

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LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - FEBRUARY 16: Matthew Stafford (L, Center) of the Los Angeles Rams celebrates on stage during the Super Bowl LVI Victory Parade on February 16, 2022 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Katelyn Mulcahy/Getty Images)

While the team was enjoying themselves, sports photographer Kelly Smiley took a nasty fall while capturing the event through her lens. Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford and his wife Kelly have announced that they’re going to be taking care of Kelly financially after the fall.

“We have been in communication with Kelly Smiley since yesterday’s incident and we are sorry for what happened,” the Rams and the Staffords said in a joint statement. “As we told Kelly, we will be covering all her hospital bills and replacing her cameras. We wish her a speedy recovery.”

Kelly was taking a shot of Matthew Stafford moments before the fall. Kelly Stafford immediately rushed to the edge of the stage to check on the injured photographer while the Rams QB stepped back in disbelief, a reaction he has since been criticized for on social media over the past 24 hours.

After she was able to gather herself at the hospital, Smiley took to Twitter to give an update on her condition as the clip went viral. “That’s me,” tweeted Smiley. “Waiting at the ER for X-ray results. Both my cameras broke but I’m ok.”Later, Smiley added an unfortunate update to the situation, revealing that she fractured her spine.

Following the incident, fellow NFL photographer Tim Kothlow set up a GoFundMe for Smiley. The donations, however, are no longer necessary. As of Thursday morning, over $42,000 had been raised to help Smiley before the Rams and Stafford’s announcement. This was the information provided by Kothlow on the GoFundMe page.

“This morning (2/16/2022), while covering the Rams parade in Los Angeles, Kelly took a heavy fall off the stage while covering the event, and it landed her in the hospital with a fractured spine. The funds raised by this gofundme will help cover Kelly’s growing medical expenses as well as replace the camera gear that was severely damaged due to her fall. Since Kelly is a working photographer, she needs this gear to help keep her working after fully recovering. 

“Kelly is loved by all who know her and is a well-respected individual in the photography community. Please consider donating to this gofundme to help Kelly hit the ground running after she heals up.”

With Kelly’s recovery now in the public eye, it was a classy move for the Stafford’s to help the freelance sports photographer get back on her feet following the scary tumble off the Rams stage. It’s unclear of the timetable for her recovery, but she certainly is in good hands after the incident.