LAKE WORTH, Fla. — A Lake Worth teen faces a long road to recovery after she was hit and injured in a car crash last month.
On May 12th, Ivanna Quinones was leaving Palm Beach Central High School in Wellington when the unthinkable happened.
WATCH BELOW: WPTV's Zitlali Solache sits down with Ivanna and her mother:
According to the crash report, Quinones was making a left, heading eastbound towards Forest Hill Boulevard when another driver heading westbound ran a red light and struck her.
“I was thinking to myself, ‘what happened?’,” said Quinones. “I was in pain. My legs. I couldn’t feel anything below my waist.”
Quinones said she was left with pelvic, hip and back injuries from the crash. After weeks of being in the hospital, she’s thanking those who’ve kept her spirits high.
“It was very hard to process but I’ve had people who were supporting me. People visiting me every day at the hospital ... my family, my friends,” said Quinones. “They helped me stay positive, stay strong and stay pushing forward.”
After the wreck, Ivanna missed high school graduation, but the celebration was brought to her at the hospital.
“Incredible. They gave her a hat and gown, and they presented her with a diploma,” said her mother Polina Perdue. “She never cried but that was the moment when she completely lost it so it was a very emotional moment but a beautiful moment.”
Perdue, a single mother is facing mounting medical bills from her daughter’s several surgeries and physical therapy.
Meanwhile, the two are calling for safer driving in school zones.
“The punishment should be much more severe, much more serious than what it is right now for people who break the law,” said Perdue. “This changed our lives forever. So, I hope laws will change to protect kids.”
Despite the challenges ahead, Quinones is holding onto hope in the healing process and a future in law school. A GoFundMe has been created to help the family during theIr journey to healing.
“I want to go far and I’m not going to let this be something that will stop me from achieving my dreams,” said Quinones.
