She had 10 subsequent operations, fusing the joints in her ankles and bones in her pelvis. “I knew it was bad, but I had no clue how long or how hard my recovery would be.” Limited to wheelchair use for almost two years, it was four years before she walked again without support.
The following information originally appeared in AgrAbility: 30 Years of Impact.Īfter undergoing two surgeries, Portell remembers waking up to hear her eight-year-old son saying, “Thank you for staying alive, Mom.” “When I looked down, my legs were in external fixators,” said Portell.
