Prosper

Cheerleader Paralyzed in Tumbling Accident Making Inspirational Recovery

Makayla Noble suffered a spinal cord injury in September

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Makayla Noble, 16, has been in a hospital for nearly eight weeks.

She was taken to Medical City Plano after suffering a spinal cord injury that left her paralyzed in September.

In mid-October, she was transferred to TIRR Memorial Hermann Hospital in Houston for therapy and rehabilitation.

Noble is a varsity cheerleader for Prosper High School.

She says she was practicing moves in a backyard for homecoming when the unthinkable happened.

“We were off timing,” Noble said.

She said she instantly knew she was paralyzed.

The past seven weeks have been marked by slow, steady milestones.

She credits the support she's received from the Prosper community and prayers from across the globe.

“Staying strong in my faith and just trusting in him has gotten me through,” Noble told KPRC-TV.

Now in rehab, she's learning to lift her arms again, to hold a paintbrush, and miraculously regained feeling in her legs.

Her story has been an inspiration to the more than 100,000 people following her journey on social media.

Noble’s doctor says her platform is helping shine a light on spinal cord injuries.

“I think there's a lot of misunderstanding, a lot of underestimating what's possible with a disability. That's not a hopeless situation, there's a lot of hope that can be had with that,” said Dr. Matt Davis, clinical medical director of spinal cord injury service line at TIRR Memorial Hermann.

Makayla expects to head home from Houston next week, a world champion cheerleader who now has people around with world cheering for her.

“I’m so excited to see my pets and friends and family,” she said in a video on Instagram.

Once she arrives back home, Noble will continue her rehab daily here in north Texas.

Learn more about Noble's journey and fundraisers to help her family with mounting medical expenses.

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