PACIFIC GROVE, Calif. - Doctors said she would never walk again, but a Pacific Grove High student is on her way to doing just that. Central Coast News has been following the story of Chelsie Hill who was left paralyzed after a drunk driving accident back in February.
This week, with the help of a trainer, this once competitive dancer is getting out of her wheelchair and walking. It's a feat many thought was impossible.
"That's the best I've walked in a long time," says Chelsie Hill. "I actually started crying after. It gave me so much hope."
It's all thanks to Project Walk, a rehab facility in Carlsbad, where Chelsie has spent the last two weeks. There, she's learning to retrain her body to use her legs again.
"Right now I'm learning how to lock my knees," says Hill. "I still don't have any feeling below my belly button, somehow I can throw my leg forward while I'm standing up."
Despite the rigorous training, her determination and fighting spirit is what keeps her going and her accomplishments are motivating others.
On her Facebook page, there's lots of comments including one from a Pacific Grove mom who wrote "there hasn't been a day where you have not done something remarkable that has not made me cry tears of joy."
And her parents couldn't be more proud of this milestone.
"It's wonderful, it's what gets me out of bed every day," says Chelsie's mom Wendy Hill. "It helps get me going and doing the things I need to do. I look it her and I have nothing to complain about. She is my rock."
While Chelsie admits it's still a long way to go in her recovery, she's getting there and this emotional journey slowly coming full circle.
"Things are happening for me," says Chelsie Hill. "I believe if I keep fighting and keep practicing. I feel I will be able to dance one day again. It won't be the same way I dance but one day I will."
On Saturday, Chelsie will head to the "Life Rolls On" event hosted by the Christopher Reeves Foundation in Hollywood. It celebrates hope and life for young people affected by spinal cord injuries.
Submitted by Azenith Smith, Central Coast News
