In the News

"She's got a spirit that can't be broken." That's how Richard Albright describes his daughter, Monica. And after the past year, those who have watched Monica struggle to reclaim her life would likely agree that Albright's choice of words perfectly capture his daughter's strength and character.

On May 7, the day before Mother's Day last year, Monica Albright and her mother were in an auto accident in which their vehicle exploded. Monica's mother died in the accident. More than 80 percent of Monica's body was burned. She lost both legs, and the fingers of her left hand had to be removed.

Less than a year later, she's walking again and has a positive outlook on her life and what the future may bring. It's been an unexpected and hard journey for Monica, and her reaction and rebound has surprised her family and doctors. Monica said the doctors told her she would not be able to walk until 2008, but her determination would not allow her to be satisfied with that answer. "On Dec. 22, three days before my 21st birthday, I walked again," Monica said. "I can now stand for around four-and-a-half hours at a time."

She claims that her special prosthetic legs are responsible for her being able to walk so soon. Otto Bock makes what she described as "the Cadillac of prosthetics," which have helped her progress at a faster rate than expected. Even the president of the Otto Bock prosthetic company, whom she has never met, spoke of Monica's progress at a conference for the company in Wisconsin.

In fact, Monica has progressed as far as she can with her physical therapy. As of Friday, she will no longer attend therapy sessions at Nacogdoches Memorial Hospital. She can walk, stretch, exercise and keep her balance with ease, now. "I am totally amazed by her progress," her father, Richard, said, "She amazes me every day." Her father has been with her every step of the way. He changed her bandages, fed her, brushed her teeth – anything he could do for his daughter.

Since the accident, Monica has undergone more than 20 surgeries, not including many skin grafts, and she has one more to go. She has a build-up of scar tissue on her hip that needs to be removed to help her walk.

Monica has also made giant strides with her medication. She said she was taking a great deal of medication, until about three months ago. Now, she only takes a normal pain medication and medicine for anxiety. "They had me on all kinds of things including anti-depressants and strong pain killers," Monica said, "I don't like that, and I wanted off of them. If I'm in pain, I want to know why, and if I'm sad, I want to feel it and know why I'm sad." Monica said the hardest thing for her to overcome has been the realization that her mother is not here. But she is proud that her mother was able to see her in her prom dress before she died. Monica plans to spread some of her mother's ashes and have a small service the day before Mother's Day this year at the wreck site.

After everything Monica has been through in the past year, she is hopeful about her future and confident that she knows what she needs to do. "I have a life and a chance to use it and make it better," she said. "I remember everything for a reason – to relate to people." Monica wants to give hope and share her experiences with others. Her message to others is to never take anything for granted.

After seeing an article about a person getting into martial arts after losing their legs, Monica has decided that she too wants to get back into practicing her martial arts skills. She now can see that nothing can hold her back from accomplishing her dreams. She also plans on going back to school soon. She wants to go to college to be a pharmacy technician or a pharmacist. But she also has interests in journalism, business management and motivational speaking. She said God has given her the drive to inspire others through motivational speaking. "I don't want to stop learning," Monica said. "It's amazing, when you get so close to death, that you have an extreme thirst for knowledge."