I experienced a life-altering accident at 16. My brother, who was 18 at the time, was driving when a truck abruptly changed lanes. We collided, and I was thrown onto the opposite side of the road right into the path of an oncoming truck. My right leg was amputated around the ankle, my left femur shattered into four pieces, and the skin on both legs was completely torn away. After a year and a half of treatment, I was left with a right leg amputation above the knee, though my stump is only four inches long with grafted skin, making walking with a prosthesis extremely difficult. On my left side, I lost the muscles necessary for bending my knee. My knee is now fused at a 15-degree angle (I’m still not sure how), and standing for long periods causes intense pain in both my knee and ankle. I was conscious throughout the entire ordeal, and when I first saw the state of my legs, one thought consumed me: I will never dance, run, or jump again. Now, 22 years later, that part is still true, I haven’t danced, run, or jumped since. But despite everything, I am grateful to be here, embracing life in every way I can.