Abigail had signed a national letter of intent to play college soccer just a few months before waking up in extreme back pain. Within an hour she was paralyzed from the chest down and transferred to neuro ICU where she was diagnosed with a rare spinal cord stroke affecting her T2-7 vertebrae. The stroke also caused an incurable neurological heart condition. Though much of her time had been devoted to soccer, she also competed in beach volleyball, track and cross country at the club and high school level.

The stroke caused incomplete paraplegia and after extensive therapy and rehab at Craig Hospital, Abigail is learning to walk again. Competitive sports taught her to be resilient, so she traded the soccer cleats for hiking, which helped with balance, endurance and strength, as well as mental fitness. Baking came next, working with her occupational therapist to practice grocery shopping and navigate the kitchen. She thought that life would be over because of her injury, but says her limitations are a daily reminder that she has a choice to make, which is to live boldly and intentionally. She will complete her senior year at Liberty online in the spring and hopes to make on impact on people the same way her care team did for her in the darkest season of her life.

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