'The Whole Entire Situation Changed My Life': Kyla Avant Overcame Obstacles After Hit-And-Run Incident
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- An Edina teenager hit at her bus stop overcame major obstacles this year: physical therapy, going back to school, followed by distance learning and graduation.
Kyla Avant feels stronger than she ever has.
"The whole entire situation changed my life but I guess it was a blessing in disguise," Avant said.
The now 18-year-old was about to get on the school bus at her stop at France and Halifax in Edina in late January when a car drove around the bus, striking Kyla. The driver sped off. She was flung in the air and thought she was paralyzed.
"Sometimes I can feel my body doing weird things and it kind of aggravates me, but for the most part I'm getting back to myself," Avant said.
She said the trauma could have defeated her. Instead she chose to be positive. And she says it helped in her recovery.
"Once you like start thinking positive a lot of things go your way because you're putting in positive energy and then you receive positive energy back. This has made me realize how life should not be taken for granted," Avant said.
Kyla made her way back to school, only to be sent home when COVID-19 forced distance learning.
She felt proud to graduate and took the front yard graduation in stride.
"Actually cried. I didn't know that graduating was going to be such a big moment, but it actually was," Avant said.
And she says she'll keep her can-do attitude while preparing to relive the crash in court.
"I bet it's going to be hard, but at the end of the day I'll pull through," Avant said.
The man accused of striking Kyla is charged with second-degree assault. The case is scheduled to go to trial on Monday.
Kyla has been looking forward to going to college in Manitoba this fall. She's still waiting to find out if she can and what that looks like.
