Radio Host Natalie Jansen Shares Injury Update as She Begins Long Recovery
Natalie was sledding with her 7-year-old son when the accident occurred.
Published Dec. 3 2025, 2:18 p.m. ET
The familiar rhythm of the WIXX-FM morning show shifted in November and December 2025. Listeners noticed the difference immediately. Natalie Jansen, known for her energy and warmth on the air, was missing. Her absence left fans with one question: What happened to Natalie Jansen?
Concern turned into clarity on Dec. 1, 2025, when Natalie shared on Instagram that she had suffered serious spinal injuries in a sledding accident. Her message, along with comments from her co-hosts, offered a clear picture of what she was dealing with — and how much support she’s received from her community.
Natalie Jansen’s absence from the WIXX airwaves sparked questions about what happened to her.
According to the Green Bay Press-Gazette, Natalie was sledding with her 7-year-old son, Atlas, when the accident occurred. Just days earlier, she posted a joyful video of their snowy adventure on the WIXX Facebook page, writing, “Atlas and I have been absolutely zooming down the hills tonight!”
But that fun quickly turned frightening. While sledding, Natalie went off a ramp and landed hard, resulting in multiple spinal injuries.
According to her Instagram update, she sustained fractures in her T12 and L1 vertebrae, a disc bulge at T7–T8, a disc extrusion at T8–T9, and mild bilateral neural foraminal stenosis from T9–T11. These injuries have caused intense nerve pain and required her to begin wearing a back brace. She’s expected to wear it for six to twelve weeks and is seeing a neurologist for further evaluation.
The seriousness of the injury came as a shock to fans, especially after a photo shared by WIXX on Facebook showed Natalie in a hospital bed, hand-in-hand with her son. Hundreds of listeners commented, sharing their own sledding injury stories and sending words of encouragement.
Natalie's WIXX-FM return date is TBD as she recovers at home.
Dan “Huggie” Amsden, Natalie’s longtime friend and co-host on “Huggie, Natalie & Corey,” was listed as her emergency contact. During the December 1 broadcast, Huggie recounted receiving a call from the sledding hill, racing to Bellin Health’s emergency room, and arriving before the ambulance.
“This chick, our co-host, is in a neck brace and is just laying there. Can’t move. I was like ‘Yo, what?’ Now I’m crying. Atlas is crying. She’s crying,” he said on air.
Despite the emotion, Huggie used humor to help Natalie through those early moments, jokingly comparing her wipeout to something Shaun White might do. He also cared for Atlas, who calls him “Uncle Hugs,” and contacted Natalie’s family, who traveled to be by her side.
In her Instagram post, Natalie thanked Huggie and others for stepping in quickly, saying, “Thank you to @itsmehuggie and @from.the.ash.tree for taking care of Atlas … Thank you to everyone for the love and support.”
WIXX has not confirmed when Natalie will return to the show, and her management team, @kendallcaseysocial, is currently handling all communication and scheduling. Co-host Corey Carter reassured listeners that there’s no paralysis, no surgery is required, and Natalie is recovering at home.
As Natalie focuses on healing, the community around her continues to rally. From heartfelt comments to messages of appreciation for her co-hosts, the response has been steady and sincere.