A Colorado woman who plunged 200 feet in the mountains of California said she had to walk with a broken neck to reach a rescue helicopter. Ruth Woronetsky, 40, (pictured), of Thornton, was returning to her campsite in the San Gabriel Mountains on Dec. 24 when she slipped on ice and fell. Strong winds prevented a rescue helicopter from reaching her location, so she endured excruciating pain and the possibility of permanent paralysis to her lower back to walk the 150 feet to safety.

Three weeks later, Woronetsky still has a long road to recovery, but she’s walking and she’s grateful, she told NBC’s Steve Patterson (pictured) in an exclusive interview. Patterson asked Woronetsky about how she walked 150 feet with a broken neck to reach her rescuers. “Yes, I walked 150 feet with a broken brake,” replied the brave woman with a smile. “I was trying to hold him,” she added, wrapping her arms around his neck. Despite all the difficulties, Voronetskaya is on her way to recovery and is guided by her faith. “I was very grateful, very grateful,” Voronetskaya said, adding that it is a prayer that helps her. The full interview airs tonight on NBC’s Nightly News with Lester Holt at 6:30 p.m.

Voronetsky’s family said that two days before the hike, she had been handing out food, clothing and other supplies to the homeless in Los Angeles’ Skid Row neighborhood. Voronetskaya left her family’s campsite in Lytle Creek around 5 a.m. on Christmas Eve to head to Cucamonga Peak, area authorities said. Her sister, Sarah, previously said that although Voronetsky was an avid hiker, it was her first time on a snow trip and she didn’t know about the special shoes and boots needed to reduce the danger. As Voronetsky was returning to her campsite from the 8,800-foot summit, she slipped on ice and fell 200 feet, miraculously landing on a fallen tree that broke, which would have otherwise been stronger.

“She woke up to other hikers around her offering their coats and helping her keep the headband on,” Sarah said. “After realizing the extent of the damage, one of the hikers turned on the emergency GPS beacon for help. A rescue operation was launched, she was found and then taken to a nearby hospital, where she is currently in intensive care.” Her brother, Joshua, said on Facebook at the time that his sister had undergone several surgeries and stitches. “It’s a miracle she’s alive,” he wrote. Sarah added: “I’ve never been so shocked and devastated… I can’t stop crying. We are completely devastated. It’s hard to believe.”

Along with paying hospital bills and physical therapy costs, the family has pledged that any remaining funds will be donated to those in need. Her family said the outdoor enthusiast is a volunteer who has traveled to Brazil, Chile and the Philippines to help those in need. “My sister is not an ordinary person, she is one of the kindest, most sincere and loving people you will ever meet,” Sarah wrote about her sister. “She has dedicated her life to helping others and spends all her time in this country or in many third world countries in orphanages, hospitals, on the streets, in nursing homes, juvenile detention centers and prisons.” In the photo: recently, Voronetsky feeds the needy at Skid Row in Los Angeles.

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