En 1995, un trágico accidente cambió la vida de la estudiante Claire Freeman. Durante un viaje en auto, su madre se quedó dormida al volante.

El vehículo se desvió de la carretera en Nueva Zelanda y se estrelló tras rodar por un acantilado.

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Claire sufrió una lesión grave en la médula espinal y fue trasladada en helicóptero hasta el Hospital Base de Auckland, donde permaneció en coma inducido durante dos semanas.

En ese entonces, los médicos le dieron menos de 10% de probabilidades de sobrevivir. A pesar de las dudas, logró superar tres cirugías, incluida una para conectar su vejiga a una bolsa externa.

Después de un año de operaciones, la joven quedó cuadripléjica. Desde ese entonces, Claire ha tenido que movilizarse en una silla de ruedas.

Sin embargo, su condición no fue impedimento para que persiguiera su sueño. Mientras se recuperaba, comenzó a estudiar para sacar su título de diseño en Wellington.

Asimismo, en febrero de 2018 se acercó una agencia de modelos italiana y desde ese entonces ha participado en diferentes pasarelas de Milán, para la Semana de la Moda.

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"Happiness is a state of mind" I was told that after my injury and I'd roll my eyes and in my head think 'whatever'. How can anyone be happy with a catastrophic injury like this? I focused on the can't, can't walk, can't play the guitar, can't even feel anything as my body was like a numb ice-block. For years, I had felt in control of my feelings, my actions, my outcomes, convinced nothing would change.I was never supposed to be 'disabled', that stuff happened to other people. This is the first birthday I've really felt grateful for. The biggest shock of my life, wasn't my injury, it was the change that occurred in my head. I did what I thought was impossible, I changed my mindset. A good friend recently said how aging is a gift, and some don't get that. Her husband died young of cancer, and as I sat there whinging about getting older, I realized, heck Claire, you've survived so many death experiences and you're alive.It was up to me to change the way I thought, about my body, about my impairment.Even issues like pain, losing autonomy, losing a child, if I re-framed these issues, I had more control.The pain will always be there, and to be given a chance at having a family is a gift in itself, especially doing it with someone I care about so much. It may not have worked, but to be able to try is itself a gift I believe. I have faith that we aren't slaves to our thoughts, we can control them.It takes work, but it's possible.I feel happy with life. It's not perfect, but no life is. We don't always get what we want, but we do get what we need even if it's a life changing shift in perspective. So I can handle the pain, the inconvenience of this injury, the discrimination I encounter and a body I can't control. Because all those issues have made me who I am. For the first time in my life, I like who am, I'm excited about who I might become and how my philosophy of love and kindness will always win out over hate. For anyone going through trauma, it may lead you to dark places, but it will teach you skills and if you let it, it will make you a stronger, more compassionate, resilient human being. #lifehack #love #disabled #happy #newzealand #smile #wheelchair #model

Una publicación compartida de Claire Freeman (@claire.freeman.nz) el

Por otra parte, Claire decidió no regresar a su ciudad natal en Whangarei. “Estaba demasiado humillada y no quería que nadie me viera usando una silla de ruedas”, reconoció en entrevista con el diario electrónico Metro.

“Me sentí como un monstruo total. No conocía a nadie que estuviera discapacitado, y odiaba el hecho de que no pudiera caminar”, reconoció.

“Despreciaba mi nuevo cuerpo roto y me ponía ropa holgada negra. Me escondía cuando podía“, añadió sobre esta compleja etapa de recuperación.

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I was a 'socially acceptable' drug addict two months ago. The drugs had all been prescribed to me by health professionals to help with the extreme pain I was experiencing, insomnia and depression. I was also erratic, I took stupid risks and all because inside I felt numb. After a serious health scare involving two drugs that shouldn’t be prescribed together, I took matters into my own hands. I decided to get clean. I slowly weaned myself off most of the drugs, including many opioids and opiates prescribed to address the pain I was experiencing. What I did not anticipate was how I would feel mentally. It hasn’t been easy, but I feel it was worth it. Two months ago, I would visit friends and skulk off to the toilet, guzzling liquid morphine to ‘help’ with the pain and numb my stressed mind. Wellbeing is such a catch phrase, but here I am, on a minimal drug regime with no painkillers, and oddly, I feel really good. Even the pain has greatly diminished despite having a shattered hip from a fall last year. So often, we get caught in the fast food world of drugs. Drugs to help with sleep, pain, spacticity, depression, you name it, I was probably on it. I don’t recognise the girl from two months ago. I’m more sedate, thoughtful, sometimes anxious, but these feelings are ok, they are normal. Feeling unstoppable and immortal led me to some very dark and dangerous places. It may not suit everybody, but for me, it’s been a hellish journey with an unexpected outcome, one where I feel alive, fresh… healthy. In addition to cutting back the drugs, I’ve focused on eating better and gentle exercises, all of which seems to have helped with rediscovering who I am. I am no longer a slave to the drugs, and although I sometimes worry I’ve become ‘boring’, to those who know me, they say the old Claire is back, and this time, I quite like who I am – in my beautifully broken body. #mentalhealth #drugs #opiates #opiods #healthy #exercise #newzealand #disability #spinalcordinjury #wheelchair

Una publicación compartida de Claire Freeman (@claire.freeman.nz) el

“Crecer después del accidente fue extremadamente difícil”, admitió Claire, describiendo que el campus universitario era totalmente inaccesible y no se relacionaba con sus compañeros. “Pasé los primeros tres años sin hablar con un solo estudiante debido a que era extremadamente tímida, y estaba avergonzada por tener que usar una silla de ruedas”, señaló.

No obstante, el gran cambio en su actitud se provocó cuando decidió exponer su vida y sus sentimientos a través de su cuenta de Instagram.

“Acumulé muchos seguidores. Me conecté con otras personas que estaban en la misma situación y, por primera vez, me sentí feliz y tenía un propósito“, reflexionó.

En este contexto, admitió que si bien en un principio se escondió de la gente, ahora se considera una sobreviviente. “Me siento orgulloso de quién soy y dónde he estado”, añadió Claire.

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We can’t control everything and this inaccessible gate is a great example of some of the disappointments I deal with daily. Luckily, my friends were cool and we decided to drink in the eye candy instead and talk. What I’d like to talk about though are suicidal triggers. Triggers are like nasty little ‘events’ that tip the balance from wanting to be here, to not wanting to be here. When I'm vulnerable such as just after my injury or after a traumatic event, I often get depressed. That's all fairly normal, but sometimes, the depression is much darker and deeper, and often difficult for others to detect. Just after my accident, I went to an event to honour my sister’s achievement at a restaurant. She said something to me, a flippant comment about the annoyance of my inability to move, but it was enough for me to feel like a burden, on her, on my family. I excused myself from her dinner, drove off and tried to kill myself. I ended up in a coma. She had made a few comments before and because I respected her a lot, her words held a lot of weight. I didn't want to be a burden. She had already told me I had nearly ended her marriage due to the stress from my car accident, the guilt cup was at its fullest so her comment at the restaurant was my last straw. I’m not blaming her, she has little understanding about suicide and how delicate people can be, as hard as it can be, sometimes there are just people in our lives who mean well, but can be dangerous. I’m learning to avoid those situations. When someone goes through trauma, or is depressed, be extremely careful what you say to them. Offer support, love, a hug, ask them if they are ok, be kind, because it could be the difference between life and death for someone. I am sorry for not replying to anyone, I’m dealing with a trigger situation at the moment so am an emotional ball teetering on the edge of my own crazy family dilemma. At least when everything is at it’s lowest, the only way is up. #father #help #disability #suicide #SuicidePrevention #triggers #goodfriends #family #stroke #sister #spinalcordinjury #quadraplegic #redhair #redhead #inaccessible

Una publicación compartida de Claire Freeman (@claire.freeman.nz) el

“Mi silla de ruedas es parte de lo que soy, al igual que un amputado siente que su prótesis es parte de su cuerpo”, comparó la joven modelo.

Por otra parte, su madre se mudó a Wellington para estar con ella. “He vivido la vida más espectacular en muchos aspectos”, agregó, a pesar de las adversidades.

“Siento que soy una mejor persona después de haber sufrido esta lesión. No digo que sea fácil, no lo es, pero es gratificante. A través del estudio, me di cuenta de cuánto trabajo hay que hacer con respecto a las percepciones de la sociedad sobre las personas con discapacidad“, finalizó.