Life was tough for Olivia Johnston-Wilder. At the age of 16, she suffered from a back injury that left her confined to the wheelchair. Shockingly, she managed to make a miraculous recovery, getting stuck in a toy car.
Her accident in February 2011 had paralyzed her from the waist down, leaving her more or less crippled. The 16-year old had never thought she'd be able to walk again; however, much to her surprise, she could actually "feel' her legs when she accidently got stuck in a Little Tikes toy car.
"I was playing in the hospital children's play area and got stuck in a plastic car - I began to panic and didn't know how on earth I was going to get out. But while trying to free myself my back twinged and I felt pins and needles in my legs - a sensation I hadn't had in months," Olivia explained.
Olivia had to spend a year recovering in the hospital post her accident, which left her with serious injuries. Her "fall,' made her fear that her life would never be the same again.
"I was convinced I'd never walk again - I couldn't feel my legs. Giving up and spending the rest of my life in a wheelchair was the easiest thing to do. But that was it then, I got pins and needles and I could finally feel my legs again," she added.
Olivia also suffers from bipolar disorder, and is currently undergoing her rehabilitation treatment at the Birmingham's Children's Hospital.
To support cancer awareness, Olivia completed her first major challenge after the accident- a Cancer Research UK 5km Race for Life, all for her granny, who was diagnosed with cancer. "I completed it on crutches; I want to achieve something to be proud of. It took me three hours to complete but I did it," she said.
Today, hale and hearty, she walks the Coventry 5km Fun Run, without the crutches.
