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A note from Nicole: As many of you know, I was involved in a serious car accident in the summer of 2014. I am incredibly grateful for all the support that I have received and I can’t thank you all enough for your encouraging messages, visits, and everything you have done for me. With this website I am asking for your continued support.
-Nicole

On July 16, 2014 Nicole was involved in a collision with an 18-wheeler which caused her C5 vertebrae to break and C6 vertebrae to shatter, sending shards of her spinal column into her spinal cord. She was rushed to Ben Taub Trauma Center in Houston, where she underwent five hours of extensive spinal fusion surgery to fuse her bones back together. The surgery was successful, although she suffered permanent damage to her spinal cord. This traumatic accident rendered her tetraplegic, severely limiting her ability to live a normal life. As a tetraplegic, she has paralysis below her waist, in parts of her arms, in her hands and fingers, in her trunk, and in some of the systems within her body. This also means loss of control or impairment of bowel, bladder, sexual function, digestion, breathing and other autonomic functions. Sensation is impaired or lost in most areas of the body that are affected by the paralysis. Furthermore, there are many secondary and long-term health complications that come with a cervical spinal cord injury.

Updates (63)

October 14, 2016

Recap & redirect!:

I love you all for what you have done for me. With the $43,200 raised by you guys, I was able to attend Project Walk for 1 1/2 years, participating twice a week for 3 hours a day. This cost me $100/hr. Quite staggering. However, the gains that I saw at Project Walk were priceless. I gained activation of some tricep, lower back, abdomen, oblique, glute, and hip motor function. My hip flexors are the weakest and my back extensors are the strongest.

A new treatment that I want fund costs $50,000 for the procedure alone, not including travel and living expenses overseas. This treatment will have to be followed up by extensive therapy and participation at the paralysis recovery center, Project Walk. For this, I have extended my fundraising goal to $103,200.

In the meantime, I will be doing aggressive strength training and continuing my fight for independence. My hope is that the procedure will become more refined by the time that I am able to receive it. A portion of the treatment uses stem cell transplant, which is still in a very unsophisticated stage.

Healing is never guaranteed with spinal cord injury. Professionals will tell you that it is not likely. I hear this from my physicians all of the time. Truthfully, they are right, it isn't likely, but none of this matters to me. I will heal some more and one day I will get my body back. This is what I live for

April 14, 2016

I have a little bit of preserved motor function in both of my hip flexors. I've been skeptical all year long but now I'm finally convinced! The only way to produce a specific movement on a Hip-Glute machine is to activate your hip flexors. This movement brings your knees to your chest. I've been able to do this every time I've tried it. I've attempted it during four different sessions at Project Walk.

I cannot feel the contraction b/c it's so faint (& most of my sensory function below my level of injury remains paralyzed)

The right side > the left side

It's not much but I'm excited for it!

Photo Galleries (3)

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Guestbook

March 17, 2016

Yes! Glad to hear you are registering for a class at UHCL again ...sure to be a challenge but you have shown courage and fortitude and I know you will be successful. Love you,Grandma

Sherry

March 8, 2016

Sometimes hard to decide what correct choice is... Good that you take your time making decision..hope this helps..keeping you in my prayers.

Grandma

February 15, 2016

Keep the updates coming Nicole. People do follow your progress . . .

Bobby Hitt