Turning Pain into Punchlines: 24-Year-Old TikToker's Journey Through Paralysis with Humor
After surviving a life-altering ski accident as a college senior, TikToker Rebecca Koltun has learned to roll with the punches, overcoming adversity with the help of laughter.
On March 13, 2024, a cheerful Koltun posted a TikTok video of herself celebrating her third year of surviving a C1-C2 spinal cord injury that left her paralyzed from the neck down.
There is laughter as someone removes the tube from her ventilator and points it at the candle in her dessert, which blows out the flame. “March 13, 2021-I’m still here!” she captioned the TikTok, referencing the date of her accident.
@notparalyzedjustlazyMarch 13, 2021-I’m still here!♬ Ain’t It Fun – Paramore
According to People, Koltun was on a ski trip in Vermont with her friends during her senior year of college in 2021. She was familiar with the mountain, having learned to ski there as a young child.
It was supposed to be a fun, celebratory experience for the near-graduate, but as Koltun took off down the slope, her life forever changed.
Koltun has no memory of the accident, but does remember waking up in ICU where she learned she had a frightening fall on the mountain. She explained the story on her TikTok account, sharing photos of herself from a hospital bed.
“Luckily, someone skiing by saw me,” Koltun said. “They happened to be an EMT. He got ski patrol to transport me off the mountain.”
@notparalyzedjustlazy For all the newbies: How I became paralyzed part 1 #StoryTime #Disability #Disabled ♬ what was I made for? – Instrumental – Wheeler
Once Koltun was discharged from the ICU, she spent nearly five months at the Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital in Boston, a specialized facility for spinal cord injury rehabilitation. She received a diaphragmatic pacer, which allowed her to breathe independently without a ventilator.
Koltun has faced continual adversity during her recovery, including pneumonia and stomach issues, but remains optimistic about her future. She has turned to social media to document her journey, weaving humor into her day-to-day life.
“I enjoy long ̶w̶a̶l̶k̶s̶ ̶rolls on the beach,” she jokes on her Instagram account, which is filled with photos of life in a wheelchair. Her TikTok handle, “@notparalyzedjustlazy” additionally displays her particular flavor of humor.
“It’s just part of my personality to make jokes about serious topics,” she said on her TikTok story. “It helps me cope, especially with my injury. Many of my TikTok videos have a darker humor tone.”
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But the jokes haven’t always been quick to come. At first, Koltun struggled with feelings of defeat and anger as she had to relearn how to live with her physical disability.
“Yeah, I wanted to give up,” she recalled. “I was mad at the world, mad that someone had saved me at a certain point.”
Since the accident, Koltun has experienced many new adventures and life experiences, like flying on a plane, going to concerts with friends, and learning to paint by holding a brush in her mouth. As her painting skills improved, she opened her own Etsy shop to sell artwork.
Koltun credits strong relationships for helping her overcome adversity and find happiness and success over the past three years.
“I have so many friends that support me and to be able to do all these activities that I do. I didn’t think it would ever be possible,” she said.
“It is weird knowing that I’m like three years out. It is bittersweet. It feels so far away, and I don’t want to forget the memories of all the fun things I used to do, but also the same time, I am proud of how far I’ve come in three years.”
This article appeared originally on Liftable.
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