CARLSBAD, Calif. (KGTV) — A North County college student is progressing in her fight to walk again.
ABC 10News first introduced you to Zalia Oliva in July after she returned home to Carlsbad.
The La Costa Canyon High School graduate spent three months at hospitals in Arizona after getting in a car crash that nearly killed her. Her boyfriend and another passenger died in the April crash just outside of Phoenix.
Zalia was in her first year at Grand Canyon State University, studying criminal justice at the time.
She suffered a catastrophic spinal cord injury and has been fighting to get her mobility back ever since.
Despite her injuries, the 19-year-old is always upbeat.
"We definitely have our up and down days, but it's good. I find it fun going to therapy," said Zalia.
When she was first injured, she had no feeling from her chest down, but physical therapy is helping Zalia gain some movement in her arms and hands.
She's focused on what she can do, not what she can't.
"I can use thumbs to grasp something. I learned how to do my hair and my make-up and drink out of a cup. I can feed myself and brush my teeth," said Zalia.
Her mom, Rozlyn Sturtevant, has become her daughter's around-the-clock caregiver.
"I've become a therapist, a caregiver, and a nurse," said the single mom of two college-age daughters.
Sturtevant said they're adjusting to their new life.
"The best thing is being out of fear; it's like, OK, she's alive. We're home. How do we move forward ?"
The financial and logistical challenges are daunting, though. Sturtevant moved into a small beach bungalow shortly after her daughters left for college. When her daughter was hurt, she had to shut down her business.
"So we're all dealing with the emotional component, but then you put us in a tiny little beach bungalow that was never intended for all three of us to be living here full time; the girls were off at college, and it was intended for me and them to come and visit. It creates this sense of like a pressure cooker for us, and I think that's been pretty challenging for us to navigate," said Sturtevant.
A local construction company donated the time and materials to build Zalia, an outdoor shower. Her motorized wheelchair doesn't fit in their bathroom, making maneuvering around their tiny home difficult.
"Realistically, we need to get out of this house. It's served us, but enough of the pressure cooker," said Sturtevant.
Zalia is excited about being strong enough to use a manual wheelchair.
They're hoping insurance will approve the roughly $12,000 cost. She's not giving up the fight to walk again. Zalia is also looking forward to continuing her education at some point.
"I obviously hope to believe that I will walk again, but if I'm not, then I'm in a manual chair, hopefully driving, in school," said Zalia.
Doctors have told her mom that Zalia will never walk again, but their faith remains strong.
"A lot of people just accept and succumb to what the doctor says, and yes, we hear that, but also we're like no, no, she's gonna fight," said Sturtevant.
Her daughter says faith, friends, and family are helping her through the ordeal.
"Surround yourself with people who make you feel special and loved and like accept you for you, in your new you," said Zalia.
Before the accident, she was studying criminal justice to become an LA SWAT member ultimately.
Zalia and her mom thank the community for their support and donations. Their GoFundMe can be found here: https://www.gofundme.com/f/help-zalia-heal [gofundme.com]
