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Sports photographer Kelly Smiley experienced a horrifying fall from the stage, which left her fracturing her spine. The photo editor was present at Wednesday’s Super Bowl LVI game, and Los Angeles Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford witnessed the event.
The LA Rams were amidst their victory celebration. They played against the Cincinnati Bengals and had a 23-20 win. Stafford was slammed by fans as the team enjoyed a parade following their win. A video going viral online showcased the 34-year-old athlete witnessing Kelly Smiley’s fall and walking away. His wife, Kelly Stafford, went on to check on the injured photographer.
The incident occurred when Kelly Stafford gave her phone to the photographer to take pictures of the couple. Seconds later, Smiley fell off the front of the stage.
Reacting to Matthew Stafford stepping away from the matter, a few angry tweets read:
Through pictures posted online, one could see Matthew Stafford looking intoxicated while enjoying the celebrations, leaving him not understanding the severity of the situation.
NFL legendary quarterback Tom Brady also responded to the photographer’s fall and advised Stafford on Twitter by saying:
GoFundMe page raises funds to get Kelly Smiley “back on her feet”
Kelly Smiley is a photographer who works as an editor for the NFL and LA Kings hockey team. Her LinkedIn states that she graduated from San Diego State University in 2018. Along with being a photographer for the NFL and LA Rams, she also works part-time for Photo Editor Anaheim Ducks and Andrew D. Bernstein Associates Photography, Inc.
She has created content for the NBA, NHL, Staples Center, and Microsoft Theater during her career to date.
She took to Twitter to share a clip of the fall and added:
“Unfortunately, I fractured my spine.”
She also took to Instagram to give a health update. With a thumbs up, she said that she was “feeling ok” and spent the night at the “trauma center.”
Her friend Tim Kothlow started a fundraiser to raise money for Smiley’s “growing medical expenses as well as replace the camera gear that was severely damaged due to her fall.”
He also shared that Smiley is a well-respected photographer in her profession and requested people to donate funds to help her “hit the ground running after she heals up.”
At the time of writing this article, the fundraiser had amassed $46,547. The GoFundMe page aimed to raise $30,000. The highest donation of $5,000 was made by Pat McAfee Inc.
On Thursday, the Stafford couple and the LA Rams issued a joint statement to People magazine. They stated that they had been in talks with Smiley, discussing the incident. The two parties said they would cover all her medical bills and replace her broken cameras. They also wished her a speedy recovery.
