Uplifting: Makayla Noble

This world is filled with beautiful things, but every so often we are faced with a rude awakening. Every year, 250,000 to 500,000 people wake up with a spinal cord injury, and each one of those people has a great story to tell. This story starts with an inspiring 17-year-old girl from Prosper, Texas.

Makayla Noble was known for being an extremely talented cheerleader at Prosper High School and Cheer Athletics, but her life completely changed in the blink of an eye. On September 20th, 2021, Makayla was practicing with a friend for the Homecoming Pep Rally, when a life-changing accident occurred. She broke her C6 spinal cord and was paralyzed from the chest down. Makayla went through surgery to fix the injury, was put on a ventilator due to a partially collapsed lung, and was fitted for a tracheostomy and feeding tube all within the span of a month. After spending around two months in the hospital, she was transferred to a rehab and therapy center. Makayla has worked extremely hard on her recovery and has progressed a ton.

In honor of her immense bravery, her town of Prosper dedicated December 17th her day. She was also given the opportunity to meet the first responders from the accident for the first time since September 20th. Throughout her journey, Makayla has been documenting her huge successes in recovery and inspiring others to look for the light in their lives. She has also opened up about her faith and how it has helped her through difficult times. You can follow @makaylamnoble and @makaylasfightoffical on Instagram for more insight on her beautiful journey and become one of Mak’s Warriors. She also has a youtube channel to record the special moments.

Although she has been through a lot this past year, Makayla has never failed to see the beauty of the bright side. She was asked on Instagram what her biggest takeaway for all of this is. She replied saying, “enjoy every moment like it’s your last, stop being so scared of what others think of you, and that nothing is guaranteed in life.” Makayla has also made it clear that even she has her bad moments, but with the help of her friends and family, she always perseveres. She might only be a teenager, but she is teaching everyone something.

I have thought about what would happen if I was put in her shoes and the truth is I wouldn’t have handled it the way she has. However, Makayla’s positivity is absolutely contagious. I have not always been an optimist, but Makayla has also taught me to look for the lessons in the obstacles. Makayla has also helped me to grow in my faith. She has even taught me about my future career. My dream in life was always to be a physical therapist, specifically treating people suffering from spinal cord injuries. Through her posts, my eyes have been opened to see others’ perspectives. Seeing just a few of the challenges she goes through in a day, helped me learn that with 100 % certainty that I want to help as many people as possible.

The truth is lots of cheerleaders get injured, but not all of them accept it and continue moving forward. They also don’t always use their experiences to teach other people how precious our life is. Everyone can learn something from Makayla, whether it be about career, religion, positivity, bravery, or just simply how to get through a difficult day. Being negative about the cards you’ve been dealt will never get you anywhere. I never knew that before and it put me in a dark place, but stories like Makayla’s are the ones that helped me out. Comment down below what you’ve learned from her story!