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Makayla Noble Update As Paralyzed Cheerleader Goes Home After Two Months in Hospital

The Texas cheerleader has been described by her family as "happy but tired" after her journey home. Her return home coincided with Do It For Mak day, organized by supporters.

2021-11-16 07:11

A Texas cheerleader paralyzed after a freak gymnastics accident has returned home after a stay in hospital that lasted almost two months, her family has announced. Makayla Noble, 17, was hospitalized after suffering a severe spinal injury on September 20 while tumbling, a form of gymnastics that involves a series of acrobatic moves. The world-champion cheerleader was able to return to her home in the town of Prosper on Monday, with her family describing her condition as "tired but happy" on the Facebook group Makayla's Fight. Noble stopped off at Chipotle on her way home, where she was able to order her own meal. Tiffany Smith, a family friend, set up a Go Fund Me page for Noble, which had reached over $196,000 on Tuesday. Over 2,300 donors have contributed to the fundraiser, set up to help Noble's family financially during her long road to rehabilitation. The total exceeds the fundraiser's initial goal of $175,000.

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Noble's homecoming coincided with Do It For Mak day, where supporters were encouraged to post pictures on social media wearing light purple "Mak's Warrior's" wristbands. The day was also marked by the First Annual Golf Classic which like the sale of wristbands, was organized to support the cheerleader and her family. Speaking to Newsweek around the time of the accident, Smith described the extent of the injuries suffered by the cheerleader. "Medically speaking, Makayla has not been given a chance of walking again. It's still early in the healing process but right now she does not have movement in her hands, and she is paralyzed from the chest down," Smith said. Newsweek reported on November 1 that the cheerleader had been able to sit up by herself after weeks of rehabilitation. On October 27, the Noble family posted a video to the Makyala's Fight showing the cheerleader happily enjoying her first meal since the accident. Holding a sandwich, she explained that while she still had no feeling in her fingers, she is able to feed herself by placing her hand on her food and tilting her hand back "like a claw machine." The 17-year-old previously said that the accident and her recovery period had given her a new perspective on life. "I think I love life more," Noble said, putting this down to doctors telling her that her accident could have killed her. "The fact I didn't die and I've had so much improvement... I'm seeing life through fresh eyes."