Facing the Future with Strength and Optimism

Mayukha Pakala is feeling excited about graduating from pharmacy school in two years. “My goal is to be a pharmacist at the FDA because the drug development and approval process is so interesting to me,” says the 25-year-old. “I can also achieve a work life balance there, which is very important to me. I feel like I have a lot to look forward to.”

But back in November 2021, Mayukha did not know what her future would hold.

“I remember getting into my car to head to class at the University of Maryland-Baltimore, but the car wouldn’t start,” she recalls. “So, my dad came out to the driveway to help me push the car to jump start it. But somehow, we lost control, and I ended up getting pinned under the car.”

Rushed to the hospital with a T12-L1 spinal cord injury, Mayukha underwent emergency surgery to fuse her spine.

Shortly after, her parents began researching rehabilitation facilities and found Craig Hospital. “Craig was very responsive,” she recalls. “They answered our many questions, connected us to numerous resources and helped us arrange for an air ambulance. It was seamless.”

Two weeks later, Mayukha flew to Denver with her father by her side.

Recovering in Colorado

Mayukha spent about three months at Craig, while her father stayed nearby in donor-supported family housing: “We didn’t know a single person in Colorado, so I felt grateful that my dad was able to stay so close to me. I remember feeling extremely homesick, but I focused on trying to adjust to my new life. Due to the accident, I was paralyzed from the waist down and needed to come to terms with that reality.”

Looking back on her first few weeks at Craig, Mayukha says that her care team taught her the importance of acceptance. “Being at Craig was a great experience for me,” she recalls. “The staff helped me adjust to my new life and accept my new reality. They taught me about the need to get used to life in a wheelchair.”

But halfway through Mayukha’s inpatient stay, she began to gain function and controlled muscle movement in her legs. Her focus turned to learning how to walk again. With the help of her care team, she worked tirelessly on building muscle strength and moving from a wheelchair to a walker.

As part of her recovery, she spent time in The PEAK Center and the community gym, as well as taking part in Craig’s horticulture program, outings to the park and numerous games of bingo.

Getting Back to Life

About two months after leaving Craig and heading back home to Baltimore, Mayukha began to walk without the help of a walker. She continued in outpatient therapy for several months and repeated her first year of pharmacy school.

Today, she is working hard to increase her stamina and navigate incontinence: “I still have some limitations, especially when it comes to my bowel and bladder program. As a result, I do not feel comfortable traveling on my own yet because of the equipment I need to take with me. But I am hoping it improves in the future.”

A dancer who performs Kuchipudi, an Indian classical dance, Mayukha also hopes to be able to resume dancing once her calf strength improves.

“Most importantly, I am concentrating on school and taking life one step at a time,” she says. “I find things to look forward to and work on accepting the changes in my life. I feel grateful for what I have accomplished. My accident was not the end for me. I still have a lot to be excited about.”