For years, Linda Kalinauskas lived with chronic back pain that limited nearly every part of her life. She was told by another medical practice that she did not qualify for back surgery, leaving her feeling hopeless.
“I didn’t think I would ever be able to do anything,” Linda explained. “I was in so much pain. I was just messed up.”
Still searching for answers, Linda came across an advertisement for AVALA Spine and decided to make an appointment with Dr. Justin L. Owen. That decision changed everything.
“I would have wound up in a nursing home because it had gotten to the point where it hurt so badly just to walk,” Linda said. “And I’m a very independent person. I don’t like anyone taking care of me. It was devastating to think I could never do the things I loved again. Then Dr. Owen performed the surgery. Within two months, I was back on my feet.”
Following her back surgery, Linda felt inspired to do something extraordinary. Her husband had served in the U.S. Army’s 182nd Airborne Division, and in his room hung a photograph of him graduating from jump school. That image sparked an idea.
“That’s when I decided I wanted to experience it for myself,” Linda said.
After completing her first skydive, Linda placed her photo next to her husband’s. “I told him, now we have something in common.”
Linda describes herself as an “adrenaline junkie,” and skydiving became a powerful symbol of how far she had come after years of pain.
“It’s the best high you’ll ever get because you can’t get any higher here on Earth,” she said. “You go up 10,000 feet and jump. It gives you a closer perspective on your walk with God. I did a lot of praying before that first jump—three weeks’ worth.”
“My kids told me, ‘Mom, don’t do it.’ I said, ‘If I die up there, I’m halfway home.’ You can’t get better than that,” Linda laughed. “I try to talk a lot of people into skydiving because it really opens your life up. You see things you’ve never seen. You feel things you’ve never felt. And yes—I’d do it again.”
Today, Linda has chosen to share her story in the hope that it will help others who are still suffering.
