Family who survived terrifying deck collapse celebrates Christmas together

ROCKDALE COUNTY, Ga. — A local family is celebrating Christmas at Grady Memorial Hospital in Atlanta more than a week after a deck collapsed beneath their feet.

Multiple family members were injured on the Dec. 15 accident as they were taking holiday pictures at their Rockdale County home.

Channel 2's Michael Seiden spoke to the family where they are surrounding one sister as she remains hospitalized.

Nikki Justus has been recovering since shattering her right leg and breaking both of her ankles.

“I’m glad they came up here so I don’t have to be up here by myself,” Justus said.

Justus was one of three sisters injured in the collapse. Her youngest sister, Sequoyah Justus, also suffered a compound leg fracture.

Justus said there were at least a dozen people were on that deck when it gave way, crashing 10 feet to the ground.

“We were trying to switch out who was taking photos and then the next thing we know, we just all went down,” Justus said.

Investigators said several family members suffered broken bones. But none as serious as Nikki and Sequoyah.

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“I’m thankful that I’m alive here to tell the story,” Sequoyah Justus said.

This family has a long road ahead of them. In fact, Nikki and Sequoyah will have to learn how to walk again on their own.

Channel 2 Action News learned that the homes in the subdivision are some of the oldest in the area and were built in the 1960s and 1970s.

The family has set up a GoFundMe account to help pay for medical bills for the family. You can donate HERE.

Cox Media Group