“My passion for hair has gotten me through so much in life. It has helped me find my identity,...

“My passion for hair has gotten me through so much in life. It has helped me find my identity, given me purpose, gotten me through losses and most recently, this same passion has been one of my biggest driving forces for recovery after my accident. Losing my independence felt like the end of the world, but I remain grateful because I still have full use of my hands 🙌🏼👋🏼👊🏼 • • Out of all the things I have lost, like my ability to walk, or the feeling of my legs...the one thing I haven’t lost is love and positivity! Love can get you through anything in this life.”--Yara de la Torre

We first profiled stylist, salon owner, and educator Yara de la Torre (@yaradoeshair) in October of 2019, sharing her story of coming back from an accident that left her paralyzed from the waist down.

 “I got locked out and was trying to break into my own window,” de la Torre told us.  “I took one step back and fell and broke my back.  I was airlifted to Miami and my diagnosis was complete paralysis from the waist down.”

This was on April 28, 2019.  She had fought her way back, finding many adaptations, and returned to her salon and her passion—doing hair—when less than a year later, she had to stop working, again, because of the shutdowns in response to the COVID-19 crisis. 

Her story of overcoming adversity inspired us then and it continues to encourage us to follow her example of positive thinking and taking action.

READ HER FULL STORY HERE.

For reprint and licensing requests for this article, Click here.