>> Anchor: ROAD TO RECOVERY.
>> AS MUCH AS WE TRY GIVE BACK
TO THE PATIENTS SHE GIVES BACK
US TO.
>> CALLED MOST MOTIVATED PATIENT
EVER.
BOUNCES BACK.
>> MAKES ME REALIZE HOW THANKFUL
AND BLESSED I AM.
>>Anchor: WELL, BIZARRE CRASH
LEFT JOSEPHINE CRAWFORD
PARTIALLY PARALYZED.
>> Anchor: LED HER ON A
MISSION TO BEAT THE ODDS AND BE
BETTER THAN BEFORE.
STORY.
>> Reporter: YOU ARE ABOUT TO
MEET A WOMAN THAT LIVED LIFE TO
THE FULLEST UNTIL ONE DAY
EVERYTHING REALLY DID CHANGE IN
AN INSTANT.
AND SHE WAS DETERMINED NOT TO
LET THAT HOLD HER BACK.
AND IT ONLY MADE HER STRONGER.
>> 49-YEAR-OLD JOSEPHINE
CRAWFORD COULD NOT GET OUT OF
BED ON HER OWN A YEAR AGO.
>> I JUST COULD NOT DO ANYTHING.
TO RUN.
IN FACT, SHE SPENT MOST FREE
TIME COACHING HER DAUGHTER'S
MIDDLE SCHOOL VALU
VOLLEYBALL AND
SOFTBALL TEAMS.
>> EVERYONE ALWAYS WONDERING
WHAT I WAS ON.
COACHING AND RUNNING AND I WAS
HIGH ON LIFE.
>> Reporter: TWO YEARS AGO
WHILE DRIVING AT 4:30p.m.
THE DRIVER NEXT TO JOSEPHINE ON
I-96 FELL ASLEEP AT THE WHEEL.
>> I REMEMBER HIM HITTING ME,
PRETTY MUCH AFTER THAT, I DON'T
REMEMBER.
JUST SAID I ENDED UP HE HIT ME
BACK AGAIN AND I RAN INTO A
CEMENT WALL.
THAT.
OTHER THAN WAKING UP.
SIDE.
>> Reporter: JOSEPHINE SPENT A
WEEK IN THE HOSPITAL.
SUFFERING FROM A BROKEN NECK.
AND AFTER SURGERY, DOCTORS
PARALYZED.
AND SHE COULD NOT WALK OR TALK
THE WAY THAT SHE USED TO.
>> I THOUGHT THINGS WOULD GET
BETTER BUT IT WAS NOT.
IT WAS GETTING WORSE.
THROUGHOUT THAT PROCESS OF BEING
IN THE WHEELCHAIR I WAS LIKE
THAT'S NOT WHO I AM.
THIS IS WHAT WAS GIVEN TO ME,
BUT THAT'S NOT WHO I AM.
>> Reporter: THAT'S WHEN
JOSEPHINE UNEXPECTED JOURNEY
BEGAN.
ON A MISSION TO WALK AGAIN W HER
DREAM TEAM OF THERAPISTS THAT
SHE CALLED THEM.
ANDREA AND DENISE AT HER SIDE
PUSHING HER EVERY STEP OF THE
WAY.
>> WHEN SHE COMES IN WE DO NOT
TAKE IT EASY.
PHYSICAL, OCCUPATIONAL AND
SPEECH THERAPY AT THE DMC
REHABILITATION INSTITUTE THREE
TIMES A WEEK.
DETERMINED TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO
DO ALL THE LITTLE THINGS SO MANY
OF US TAKE FOR GRANTED.
>> HER MAIN GOAL RIGHT NOW FOR
ME, FOR OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY IS
PUT UP HER HAIR ALONE AND DO HER
OWN HAIR.
SO WE HAVE TO WORK ON SHOULDER.
>> I FACE ADVERSITY EVERY DAY
AND CHALLENGES BUT THOSE ARE
JUST CHALLENGES AND ADVERSITY T
HERE.
>> Reporter: AND SHE HAS MADE
PROGRESS FROM A WHEELCHAIR TO A
WALKER, AND NOW TO WALKING ON
HER OWN USING A CANE.
>> PEOPLE ARE USED TO SEEING
HALF.
AND PUT INJURY AND WORK.
AND MOTHER AND TWO KIDS AND A
HUSBAND ON TOP OF THAT SO
COMMEND HER FOR GOING THROUGH
THE DAYS AND WORKING WITH US.
AS HARD AS WE PUSHY NEVER
COMPLAINS.
>> Anchor: HUSBAND AND TWO
DAUGHTERS AT HER SIDE.
TRAINING TO TAKE PART IN SUNDAY
GODDESS 5K AT BELLE ISLE.
>> DENISE HAS BEEN PREPARING ME
TO GIVE MY ARM UP.
SO THAT WHEN I CROSS THAT FINISH
LINE I AM ABLE TO GO LIKE THIS.
TO KNOW I HAVE DONE IT.
WHAT SHE IS LOOKING FORWARD TO
THE MOST SUNDAY?
CROSSING THE FINISH LINE AND
CROSSING ANOTHER ACCOMPLISHMENT
OFF THE LIST.
COACH.
I DON'T EVER WANT TO HEAR YOU
SAY THE WORD "CAN'T" BECAUSE YOU
CAN.
IF YOU DO NOT TRY IT.
DO IT.
>> Reporter: AFTER SUNDAY'S 5K
JOSEPHINE IS READY TO SET
ANOTHER GOAL.
WITHOUT USING HER CANE.