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The GW Hatchet

AN INDEPENDENT STUDENT NEWSPAPER SERVING THE GW COMMUNITY SINCE 1904

The GW Hatchet

Serving the GW Community since 1904

The GW Hatchet

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Officials name senior vice president, chief of staff
By Fiona Riley, Assistant News Editor • March 26, 2024

After ninth-floor fall, junior’s family sees signs of recovery

Updated: Oct. 15, 2014 at 4:40 p.m

The student recovering from a nine-story fall from Shenkman Hall isn’t suffering from brain trauma and has no internal organ damage, her family told The Hatchet.

Junior Emily Thompson can feel her limbs and “wiggle her toes” even after a fall that broke both her feet, both femurs, her knee cap, right arm and cracked her spine, her older brother Sean Thompson said.

She had jumped from a ninth-floor window of the residence hall last Thursday in an attempted suicide, her brother said.

Her brother said his sister has had a history of depression and that he hopes her story inspires students to “help others that need the help and get help themselves.”

“I want people to be helped by this and not scared or hurt or worried. I want whatever good that can come from it to come from it,” Sean Thompson said. “Talk to your roommates and talk to your friends. Call home and talk to your mom even. Use this as a reminder that everyone has everyone’s back.”

Emily Thompson has now undergone three surgeries at GW Hospital, and is set to have another at the end of the week, her brother said.

He launched a gofundme campaign Tuesday with a $10,000 goal to help cover the costs of medical care, rehabilitation and therapy. In 22 hours, the page drew more than $5,800 in donations.

“The big thing is she survived. The cash part is so secondary to that,” Sean Thompson said.

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