An Auckland teenager is exploring all available options to walk again after a devastating horse riding accident.
Sophia Malthus was left a tetraplegic after the accident just seven weeks ago.
Her dream before the accident was to be a jockey, but now "to walk obviously is the first goal".
It was on November 29 last year that Sophia's life changed forever. The horse she was riding bolted and Sophia ended up on the ground with a major spinal cord injury.
"I don't have any sense below my collar bone and I can move my arms somewhat but nothing in my hands," she told Newshub.
But she's not letting it get her down.
"I'm focusing on curing myself rather than learning to live with the disability," she said.
The 19-year-old has set up a GiveALittle page to help pay for alternative treatments that aren't publicly funded, including stem-cell therapy and even virtual reality walking therapy.
None of the treatments are currently used in mainstream spinal cord rehabilitation here but Sophia's family is undeterred.
"We're going to try everything and we won't stop" said James Davies, Sophia's stepdad.
Newshub.
