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By Alyce Collins
Senior Reporter
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A terrifying snowboarding accident left Lucy Martinez fearing that she would never walk again. A positive pregnancy test mere weeks later revealed that it was only just the beginning of her journey.
Martinez, of Pocatello, Idaho, was snowboarding at Pebble Creek with some friends on January 5, 2025, when the incident occurred. She told Newsweek that she was getting better at jumps and “feeling confident” in her ability. Unfortunately, as she went on a solo run and did a jump, Martinez, 29, had no idea there was a big drop and a second jump immediately after.
“I flew off, expecting to land on my back and have the wind knocked out of me,” Martinez said. “As soon as I hit the ground, it felt like I had been electrocuted. In the back of my head, I knew something was wrong, but I tried to stay calm.
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“My friends caught up to me, and I quickly realized I couldn't move my legs. We waited for ski patrol, but I started freaking out about the pain and told my husband to take my board off my feet. He said it had been unstrapped the entire time, and in that moment reality set in, that's when we knew I was paralyzed.”
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Martinez was transferred to the hospital where she was assessed. While most of it remains “a blur,” she recalls asking surgeons if she would ever walk again, and to her horror, doctors said it was “highly unlikely.”
During the accident, Martinez shattered her T12 vertebra and required a spinal fusion from T9 to L3. When she woke up from surgery, Martinez could flex her quads and swing her legs slightly. It was only minor movement, but it was enough to give her hope.
“Five days after surgery (three of those were spent in the ICU), I started physical therapy with 55 staples in my back. I knew it was going to be hard work, but I was ready to see what my body could do,” Martinez said.
She was determined to prove the doctors wrong.
After several days, Martinez was transferred to Craig Nielsen Rehabilitation Hospital in Utah. She had two goals upon arrival: not to let the accident stop her from living her life, and to prove the statistics wrong. She may have entered in a wheelchair, but Martinez was determined to walk back out.
Martinez experienced severe nerve pain in her legs that left her calling out for nurses all night long. She would spend hours feeling as if her legs were on fire, being crushed or electrocuted, and all she could do was wait it out.
Martinez did not let the pain hinder her progress, however, and within weeks, she began to wiggle her toe. After that, she was able to move her right ankle, and by Valentine’s Day, she began to use a walker with confidence. By March, she could walk without arm crutches but with a harness for stability.
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The Surprise That Unexpectedly Healed Her
Martinez and her husband tried to get pregnant for over five years, but she came to accept that they might never have biological children. In 2024, they got their foster licenses and took in their first foster child that December.
On April 29, 2025, Martinez took a pregnancy test and to her astonishment, it was positive.
“Prior to the accident, I would have been ecstatic. But there I was sitting in my wheelchair staring at a positive pregnancy test and I was filled with fear,” she told Newsweek.
Of course, there was nothing Martinez wanted more than to be a mom, but she was still in the early stages of her paralysis recovery. She did not know if it was safe for her or the baby, but her doctor was quick to reassure her that it was absolutely fine.
Martinez and her physical therapist agreed to continue the sessions until she reached 20 weeks, by which point she was walking without assistance.
“It really felt like the pregnancy started to heal me,” Martinez said. “It was time to focus on the pregnancy, to rest, manage pain, and prepare for baby girl to arrive.”
Pregnancy was a challenge, and the nerve pain flare-ups were worse than Martinez anticipated. She tried to stay on her feet, keep walking and challenge herself. She was no longer motivated solely by her own recovery, but also to be the best parent for her daughter.
“Birth was honestly the most insane experience of my life, but the second I saw my little miracle baby, I knew being a mom was what I was meant to be,” Martinez said.
“By the end of maternity leave I was confidently walking around with her in my arms. I couldn't believe that just a year prior, I thought I'd never stand on my own two feet again, and here I was exceeding every medical expectation.”
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Now, Martinez can walk independently and occasionally requires a wheelchair. She has even taken her daughter to the zoo and walked around four miles while pushing the stroller, which helped her stability.
Although the nerve pain, balance deficits and back pain are likely to continue, doctors are confident that Martinez may be able to jog one day, and she aspires to get back on the snowboard eventually.
It has certainly been a remarkable journey, but Martinez could not be prouder of how far she has come. Having gone from paralyzed to a first-time mom within months, she has documented her journey on TikTok (@lucymartinez147) to inspire others.
“Mindset is everything, and life does not end just because of tragedy," she said. "Sometimes it will look like moving forward, and sometimes it will look like sitting patiently with the grief. It may take waking up every day and saying, ‘today is the day,’ and even if it’s not, keep waking up and saying it. One day it will finally be the day.”
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Contact Newsweek editors on this story: Charlotte Nisbet and Sam Wilson.
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