An Orange County woman is defying the odds after a horrific crash that left her paralyzed one year ago.
Alexis Evans has an inner strength that is pushing her forward in an exclusive interview with NBC4.
There is determination in her eyes and a strength that comes from her competitive spirit.
One year ago, 24-year-old Evans was told the only thing she'd be able to move would be her eyes.
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"They said she had locked in syndrome and that she wouldn't be able to move from her nose down," said Kathy Evans, Alexis' mother.
Evans says what she remembers about that day is that she was slowing down because of traffic in front of her. According to her attorney she was rear ended by a driver traveling 68 miles an hour.
Her red Ford was crumpled in half from the crash.
Doctors told her family the impact has severed her skull from her spine which is a condition known as an internal decapitation.
"I knew I could do more but it was definitely difficult because none of this was supposed to be possible," Evans said.
Impossible is not in Evans vocabulary.
Last December, she was preparing for law school and working for a law firm.
Currently the Berkeley graduate is doing more than even her therapists expected.
"What sets Alexis apart is her will," said Rachel Tran, from Casa Colina Hospital. "She is fierce in her determination to be independent and to be a lawyer."
Three days a week she challenges the body she was told would never walk again.
Each step in therapy is proof, says her mother, of how hard headed she can be.
"I don't like being told I can't do something," Evans said.
The Yorba Linda family is hoping to add stem cell treatments soon to help Evans mobility.
There's another reason she wants to walk on her own. In April, she will be a maid of honor in her best friend's wedding.
"I want to walk down the aisle," Evans said.
