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Step by step: How one central Iowa woman is relearning to walk before her wedding

Step by step: How one central Iowa woman is relearning to walk before her wedding
INSPIRATION. FROM A PAIR OF BLACK TENNIS SHOES SCUTTLE ACROSS A CONCRETE PATH. GOOD WALKING CAN BE A WORKOUT FOR MACKENZIE NASH, BUT THIS IS PROGRESS BECAUSE ONE YEAR AGO SHE FELL OFF A ZIP LINE AND COULDN’T MOVE. VERY NICE. I FELL ABOUT 15 FEET AND LANDED ON MY BACK. HER BACK WAS BROKEN AND HER DOCTOR SAID THERE WAS A SLIM CHANCE SHE WOULD EVER WALK AGAIN. THE DIAGNOSIS HAS SINCE BEEN PROVEN WRONG. I HAVE GOTTEN I WOULD LIKE TO MAKE PRETTY GOOD AT WALKING WITH A TWO WHEELED WALKER. FRONT WHEELED WALKER MACKENZIE BLOWS THROUGH THE TIMELINE THAT I HAD ANTICIPATED FOR HER. NASH’S PHYSICAL THERAPIST ADD ON WITH LIFE IN ANKENY SAYS HER RECOVERY HAS BEEN INCREDIBLE AND SHE’S SLOWLY GETTING STRONGER. ONCE SHE GOT UP WITH THOSE BRACES, SHE JUST STARTED WALKING ALMOST INDEPENDENTLY RIGHT AWAY. THE 29 YEAR OLD’S DETERMINATION UNWAVERING, BUT HER MOTIVATION IS WRAPPED AROUND HER FINGER. I’VE HAD A LOT OF PEOPLE ASK ME, LIKE, WHAT MY END GOAL IS OR WHAT MY END GAME IS. AND I’M LIKE, I’M WALKING DOWN THE AISLE AT MY WEDDING, ENGAGED FIVE MONTHS AFTER THE ACCIDENT. NASH AND HER FIANCEE JORDAN ARE PLANNING TO GET MARRIED OCTOBER 20, 23. I WAS LIKE, ARE YOU SERIOUS? AND HE OBVIOUSLY SAID, WILL YOU MARRY ME? AND I LUNGED FORWARD, GAVE HIM A HUG. HE KIND OF HAD TO CATCH ME. SO HE DIDN’T BOTH END UP ON THE FLOOR. BUT I’VE SEEN THIS WHOLE PROCESS AND WATCHING EVERYBODY WHEN THEY DO SEE OR DO IT, THEY START TO CRY AND I’M LIKE, OKAY, I’M GOOD WITH TEARS, BUT I’M GOING TO SAVE THE REST FOR THE WEDDING. IT’S BEEN A LONG YEAR FOR NASH AND HER FAMILY. DRIVING FROM MARSHALL COUNTY TO ANKENY FOR APPOINTMENTS, ENDURING THE PAIN OF PHYSICAL THERAPY TOGETHER. BUT IT WILL ALL BE WORTH IT TO SEE THE BRIDE AT THE END OF THE AISLE AND THE STEPS BEYOND. IT IS MY END GOAL, DUNCAN. THE BUT I AM DEFINITELY LOOKING PAST THAT TO LIKE BEYOND THAT, TO SEE WHAT ELSE I CAN DO. BEYOND THAT. MCKENZIE STARTED GOING TO ON WITH LIFE LAST SEPTEMBER ABOUT A MONTH AND A HALF AFTER HER ACCIDENT, AND HER THERAPIST SAYS SHE’S PROGRESSING FASTER THAN ALMOST ANYONE WITH HER INJURY. SHE SAYS THEY’RE RUNNING OUT OF TREATMENTS TO DO DURING THE VISIT. SO THINGS ARE GOING WELL. WOW. WHAT A REMARKABLE STORY. WHAT IS NORMAL? RECOVERY TIME IS THERE A NORMAL RECOVERY? HER DOCTOR, THE FIRST DOCTOR SHE SAW AFTER THE ACCIDENT, TOLD HER THAT THERE WAS A SLIM CHANCE THAT SHE WOULD EVER WALK AGAIN.
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Step by step: How one central Iowa woman is relearning to walk before her wedding
Central Iowa's Mackenzie Nash is re-learning to walk Friday, exactly one year after she broke her back zip lining.Her doctor said there was only a slim chance she would ever walk again. That diagnosis has since been proven wrong."I've gotten I would like to think pretty good at walking with a two-wheeled walker or front-wheel walker," Nash said.Nash's physical therapist at On With Life in Ankeny says her recovery has been incredible and she's slowly getting stronger."Mackenzie blows through the timeline that I had anticipated for her," physical therapist Logan Wallace said. "Once she got up with those braces she just started walking almost independently right away."The 29-year-old's determination is unwavering, but her motivation is wrapped around her left ring finger."I've had a lot of people ask me like what my end goal is, or what my end game is and I am walking down the aisle at my wedding," she said.Engaged five months after the accident, Nash and her fiancé, Jordan, are planning to get married in October 2023."I was like, 'are you serious?' And he obviously said, 'Will you marry me?' And I lunged forward to give him a hug, he kind of had to catch me, so we didn't both end up on the floor," Nash said as she described the proposal. "I've seen this whole process and watching everybody when they do see her do it, they start to cry, and I'm like, 'I'm good with tears, but I'm going to save the rest for the wedding,'" said Channing Owens, a good friend of Nash.Owens will be a bridesmaid in the wedding and has driven Nash to most of her physical therapy appointments. She can't wait to watch her friend walk down the aisle. "I'm going to be on the other end, so watching her come down to Jordan is going to be a triggering moment, and I'm going to cry a lot but it's going to be awesome and it's going to be worth it," Owens said.Click below to watch more from vlog's Beau Bowman:

Central Iowa's Mackenzie Nash is re-learning to walk Friday, exactly one year after she broke her back zip lining.

Her doctor said there was only a slim chance she would ever walk again.

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That diagnosis has since been proven wrong.

"I've gotten I would like to think pretty good at walking with a two-wheeled walker or front-wheel walker," Nash said.

Nash's physical therapist at On With Life in Ankeny says her recovery has been incredible and she's slowly getting stronger.

"Mackenzie blows through the timeline that I had anticipated for her," physical therapist Logan Wallace said. "Once she got up with those braces she just started walking almost independently right away."

The 29-year-old's determination is unwavering, but her motivation is wrapped around her left ring finger.

"I've had a lot of people ask me like what my end goal is, or what my end game is and I am walking down the aisle at my wedding," she said.

Engaged five months after the accident, Nash and her fiancé, Jordan, are planning to get married in October 2023.

"I was like, 'are you serious?' And he obviously said, 'Will you marry me?' And I lunged forward to give him a hug, he kind of had to catch me, so we didn't both end up on the floor," Nash said as she described the proposal.

"I've seen this whole process and watching everybody when they do see her do it, they start to cry, and I'm like, 'I'm good with tears, but I'm going to save the rest for the wedding,'" said Channing Owens, a good friend of Nash.

Owens will be a bridesmaid in the wedding and has driven Nash to most of her physical therapy appointments.

She can't wait to watch her friend walk down the aisle.

"I'm going to be on the other end, so watching her come down to Jordan is going to be a triggering moment, and I'm going to cry a lot but it's going to be awesome and it's going to be worth it," Owens said.

Click below to watch more from vlog's Beau Bowman: