MY STORY
Hello! My name is Gladys Jimenez and I am Mexican. My life changed 13 years ago after I suffered a car accident that caused me a spinal cord injury at the C5 cervical level, making me a quadriplegic. That night I decided to go out with some friends, not knowing what to expect. We were barely down the road when the truck sustained mechanical damage and the driver lost control. We ended up doing 5 somersaults until the truck stopped. I remember all I wanted to do was sleep but one of the guys in the car was able to get out and started pulling me out. At the hospital, they said that I urgently needed surgery because the paralysis was slowly increasing and I could die. After the surgery, a lot of rest, and starting rehabilitation, I still had the hope of walking again and returning to my "normal" life, but the reality caught up with me one day and it broke my heart. I fell into a depression that I didn't want to acknowledge and for a long time, I was so broken and damaged blaming myself for the life I now lead. Little by little I was healing and I decided to turn all that pain into a driving force to be able to get ahead. Every day is still difficult, being paralyzed from the chest to the feet and having difficulties with my hands is not easy but I have learned to live like this. I am still struggling to achieve my independence. I like to inspire and motivate more people through makeup or positive thoughts reminding them how beautiful and valuable they are regardless of their physical appearance.
