In an amazing story of triumph over adversity amid a pandemic, 29-year-old Madelyn Palko braved the elements while trapped for six full days under her weighted blanket. From there, she was forced to do the unthinkable.
Palko first woke up after sleeping for a full 24 hours under the blanket, which was when she realized she was trapped. With nearly no food or water left nearby, Palko was forced to ration her bedside cup of water and bowl of oatmeal for days, while attempting several methods to escape from under the weighted blanket. Unfortunately, most attempts left her exhausted and going back to sleep.
“After the third day, I started hallucinating about what it would be like to be back to normal life, where I would have to get up in the morning and go to a normal job,” Palko tells us. “All I could think about was how wonderful it would be to someday hug another human being again. In a way, that gave me some comfort, knowing what I inevitably would have to do.”
After napping for another 20 amazing minutes, Palko gained the courage to begin slowly breaking the bones in her legs and amputating her lower body, knowing it could not be recovered from under the weight of her insanely comfortable 50-pound weighted blanket.
“I was deconditioned from a year of living inside my own apartment,” Palko adds. “I had no idea I was incapable of getting out from under it until I was fully trapped. Plus, I was just so cozy.”
We simply can’t imagine what bravery this must have taken, or why she didn’t just kind of call someone to help her!
“I just hate asking other people for help,” Palko adds. “It’s just so awkward, you know?”
Palko has survived to seek medical attention but still remains inside her apartment, waiting for her future to begin. We stan a hero!
