March 10 was a terrifying day for “Pioneer Woman” Ree Drummond and her family. On that day, her husband, Ladd, and her nephew, Caleb, were involved in a head-on collision while working to put out a bush fire on their Oklahoma ranch.
Caleb was in critical condition following the crash, while Ladd refused treatment at the scene.
The day after the accident, Ree updated her fans to let them know that both Caleb and Ladd were at the hospital, but said “we think they will both be okay.”
Five days after the accident, Ree provided a more detailed update in a blog post titled Home Sweet Home (and So Grateful).
Ree explained just how extensive her husband’s injuries were:
“Ladd was stiff but able to walk around immediately after the accident, so he refused medical attention,” she said. “This was partly because he wanted the paramedics to focus on Caleb, partly because he was still a little stunned by the accident, and partly because cowboys don’t like to admit when they’re hurt.”
Ree described how Ladd drove himself to the hospital, which is where he found out he broke his neck in two spots.
“Ladd broke his neck in two places—and evidently one of the two fractures was very close to being catastrophic,” she said.
He underwent surgery “to stabilize one of the fractures.” Everything went well, and he now has to wear a neck brace for the next several weeks.
As for Caleb, he suffered some broken ribs, a concussion, and other injuries. Both he and Ladd are now home and recovering.
Ree provided a short update on Ladd’s recovery in a post she shared on social media on Sunday (March 28). The post was mostly about how long it took her to do her hair and makeup to go spend time with family.
At the end of the post, Ree named off a number of things that make her feel happy right now, including the fact that “Ladd is doing really great.” That’s good to hear!
Read Ree’s update on Ladd in the context of her full post below.