Brooke Ellison suffered paralysis from the neck down at age 11, after being struck by a car. Not even expected to be able to breathe on her own again, she survived and underwent eight months of physical therapy, adopting a strong determination and completely transforming herself from the inside out. With the help of her family, including her mother, who attended school with her every day, Brooke went on to earn a degree from Harvard University, where she also gave her graduation's commencement speech.