On July 31, 2006 after her morning run, Shelly suffered a seizure & fell down her front steps resulting in a C6 C7 fracture. After weeks on life support she woke up only able to move her eyes & was told she would never use her hands.  Thanks to adaptive silverware she learned how to feed herself before discharge. For the first year and a half she only had a tenodesis grip but continued her hand exercises and eventually taught herself how to dress and bathe independently. Ten years post injury she taught herself how to stand and at eleven years post, she can walk 100 ft in 46 minutes, with the aid of her KAFO braces & walker. Surviving a near death experience has given her the gift of gratitude and a renewed sense of hope which she shares every time she is asked to speak. Shelly’s belief is there is always a way to do something, it’s her job is to be creative enough to figure one out. She is a writer and author of “Standing Tall and the Healing Power of Gratitude” available on Amazon.