When asked about life before her injury Bianca had a full list to share. She was an athlete, dance instructor, law student, MBA student, minister, daredevil, and motorcycle rider. What can’t she do? Bianca loved to be active and was constantly on the go.
On July 4th, 2017, Bianca was riding home with two other members of her motorcycle club. As she and the other riders were coming around a curve on the parkway the arm/barrier of a drawbridge came down in front of them, ejecting Bianca from her motorcycle onto the bridge leaving her with a spinal cord injury fractured at the T4 vertebrae, ruptured spleen, two lung punctures, and multiple rib injuries.
Upon waking up and after further examination Bianca soon realized she was paralyzed from the chest down. The doctors told Bianca that she would probably never walk again to which she responded, “I probably will.”
After her accident Bianca started inpatient rehab at Kessler Institute for Rehabilitation in West Orange. Bianca’s determination and faith in herself motivated her to complete four to five hours a day of therapy for six days a week. She then returned home and continued her recovery with outpatient physical and occupational therapy.
Bianca was ready for a new challenge and with a recommendation from staff at Kessler, she began looking into a facility that catered to those with spinal cord injuries and would help her continue to improve her overall quality of life. Push to Walk was exactly what she was looking for.
At Push to Walk Bianca’s immediate goals were to strengthen her core, maintain muscle tone, and become more mobile. Her long-term goal is to eventually walk again, which is why she trains a lot at the standing bar with a focus on weight bearing activities. Bianca always has a positive mindset and makes sure to keep smiling. She also thinks when working out at Push to Walk all clients should remain open to trying new exercises and not be afraid to ask for help.
When asked about what she does in her free time, Bianca humorously asked, “what’s that?” Not only is Bianca still a dance instructor, but she is in her third year of law school at Touro Law Center in Central Islip, NY, as well as an MBA student at Long Island University. Kyle, one of Bianca’s trainers, can confirm how busy Bianca is saying, “it’s really impressive how hard of a worker she is. Trying to fit Push to Walk in between church, school 6 days a week, and other activities it can’t be easy.” In between her busy schedule, Bianca loves to drive, dance, go to the movies, and most importantly she LOVES to eat.
Bianca’s advice to anyone going through a similar situation is to, first and foremost, be appreciative of your life. “If you have the opportunity to breathe another day, that’s just another day to be grateful.” She says that it is important to remember it starts in the mind and if your mind is constantly renewed and transformed you can translate that to the rest of your body. Her concluding message is “if someone asks you what you can’t do, you tell them fail, you cannot fail.”
