Northland photographer Rachel Jordan has had two rounds of emergency surgery after being badly injured a helicopter crash on Saturday. Photo / Supplied
Northland photographer Rachel Jordan has had two rounds of emergency surgery after being badly injured a helicopter crash on Saturday. Photo / Supplied
An outpouring of love and support from around the country is helping a Northland woman horrifically injured in a helicopter crash get through her ordeal, her husband says.
Kerikeri photographer Rachel Jordan was flying to a mountaintop photo shoot with a newly wedded couple when their helicopter crashed in Canterbury on Saturday.
Her injuries included a lacerated lung and fractures to her spine, feet, arm, ribs and sternum.
The bride, groom and pilot were also injured.
Her husband Eric and son Evan, 10, flew to Christchurch Hospital on Sunday to be at her bedside.
Eric Jordan said his wife had a second round of surgery on Monday night, this time to insert rods and plates in her ankles and arm.
Her first surgery was an emergency operation on Saturday night to put rods into her broken spine.
She seemed better yesterday than on Monday, although hospital staff had to ramp up pain relief. She was in pain any time she moved or something had to be adjusted.
''The surgeons are pleased with how the surgeries went. Now it's just a case of seeing the extent to which her spinal injuries heal.''
Rachel Jordan's wedding photography often takes her to remote locations such as this mountain top in the Southern Alps. Photo / Rachel Jordan
He was amazed, and thankful, to hear a Givealittle fundraiser set up to help the family had passed $20,000 after just two days.
''I don't even know what to say, that's incredible. We're looking at at least three months in hospital so every little bit helps ... We can't believe the support we're getting from all across New Zealand. To have all this love focused on her right now is just what we need to get through this, because it's so hard.''
The support was even more valuable because neither had family in New Zealand. Their son was coping well after the initial shock of seeing his mother covered in tubes and needles.
''He had a moment when he first saw his mommy and he let it all out. Other than that he's really strong, like his mommy taught him. That's where he gets it from.''
Rachel Jordan's work often required her to travel by helicopter, despite her fear of flying. Photo / Rachel Jordan
The newlyweds, Mahdi Zougub and Fay El Hanafy, have also undergone significant surgery.
Eric Jordan said he had spoken to the mother of the injured bride, who was a great support.
The close bond they were forming was helping him get through the toughest time of his life.
''We will be keeping in touch and keeping hope alive — that will be an important part of this going forward,'' he said.
Zougub and El Hanafy are being supported by members of the Al Noor Mosque community in Christchurch.
A separate Givealittle page is raising money to pay for a second wedding once they are well enough.
An example of Rachel Jordan's award-winning wedding photography. Photo / Rachel Jordan
Eric Jordan said his wife spent the first half of her photographic life taking portraits of people in places like the alleyways of India.
''So she's very much in tune with capturing human emotion, and she brings that to all of her weddings. She doesn't do the typical, formulaic, cheesy photos, she really captures the genuine emotions on the day and people pick up on that.''
She often had requests to travel to the South Island, and even internationally, for fine art and wedding photo shoots.
Rachel Jordan's work isn't confined to weddings - she also does portraits like this award-winning shot of a hunter. Photo / Rachel Jordan
She specialised in remote locations which meant she often had to travel by helicopter, despite her fear of flying.
She had recently photographed a wedding in Thailand in a shoot that involved elephants — ''that was an incredible journey for her'' — and had been asked to photograph a wedding in Hungary, which she would now be unable to do.
Eric Jordan said she got most of her work through word of mouth.
''Her work gets shared around because it's so eye-catching,'' he said.
This wedding photo received a silver medal in the 2017 NZIPP Iris Awards. Photo / Rachel Jordan
A list of Rachel Jordan's photography awards would fill a book.
She is a regular medal winner in wedding and creative categories of the New Zealand Institute of Professional Photography (NZIPP) Iris Awards — New Zealand's premier photography contest — and in 2019 was named the institute's Auckland/Northland Regional Photographer of the Year. In the same year she was a finalist for NZIPP Wedding Photographer of the Year.
Earlier this year she was a category finalist in the 2021 International Portrait Masters Awards, while in 2020 she was a finalist in two categories of the RISE International Photography Awards and third-placegetter in the International Wedding Photographer of the Year awards.
The Robinson 44 helicopter crashed on a golf course about 80km west of Christchurch. Photo / George Heard
An investigation is continuing into what caused the Robinson R44 to crash at Windwhistle, 80km west of Christchurch, just minutes after takeoff.
This wedding photo by Rachel Jordan was a medal winner in the 2017 New Zealand Institute of Professional Photography Iris Awards. Photo / Rachel Jordan
