Makayla Noble, the Texas high school cheerleader who was paralyzed in a freak gymnastics accident, has been warned that she has a hard road ahead, although the 17-year-old Prosper resident said she loves life even more now, despite her injuries.
Noble suffered a severe spinal cord injury on September 20, which left her paralyzed from the chest down and unable to move her hands.
The teen is currently in a rehab facility where she is undergoing various forms of physical therapy.
On Thursday, Noble's family posted an update to the Facebook group "Makayla's Fight" saying that they are continuously being told by counselors and those who have been in the paralyzed teen's shoes "how hard this can and will be."
The family said Thursday had been a very busy day for Noble, with the cheerleader working on her single arm balance in physical therapy and strengthening her shoulder in occupational therapy in preparation for learning self-care skills.
And with Halloween just around the corner, staff at the rehab facility asked Noble to help decorate.
"She is so excited for tomorrow! We can't wait to share it with you all!" the family said.
In another update posted to the group on Wednesday, the family said it had been a "good day" for the teen.
"All Mak's therapy and counseling sessions are going great. She loves her time with everyone who is helping her and those she is surrounded by!" the family said.
Noble even posted a video message to the group on Wednesday, updating the more than 49,000 members on her progress.
In the clip, Noble was eating a sandwich, and the teen said this was the first time she had fed herself a whole meal since the accident.
"Super excited about it," Noble said.
The 17-year-old also talked about the hand splints she was wearing that help to strengthen her hands and keep them steady while trying to pick things up.
"Kinda like a claw machine," she said.
The teen also revealed that she had been talking with her mom and had said to her that she loved life more now after her accident.
"I think I love life more. By doctors telling me, 'I don't know how you survived, you should have died,' with my injury, falling on my neck, on my throat—I could have died, I should have died. The fact that I didn't and I've had so much improvement, really just changed my life.
"Yes I'm in the same facility but I'm seeing everything with fresh eyes and I'm trying to live my life that way. It's still new, still fresh, but it really does change your mind about things. And I'm just grateful that I'm here, still walking on this Earth and living life and learning new things."
