She was told she’d never move again. Two months after the crash that left her paralyzed and fractured nearly half her body, she began to defy that. And while she grieves alongside five other families, she’s learning what it means to keep going.

Zalia Oliva was just beginning to shape her future—college classes, career goals, and a new relationship that had quickly grown into something serious. But in one unthinkable moment, everything came to a halt. She survived a devastating car crash that claimed two lives.

While she lived, it was because her boyfriend didn’t. The collision left her paralyzed from the neck down, forcing her to relearn how to live in a body that no longer followed her lead. Nearly a year later, a small movement offered something she hadn’t felt in months—hope.

Before the accident, Oliva was a freshman at Grand Canyon University, pursuing a degree in criminal justice with plans to join the LAPD. She shared a dorm with her sister and kept a routine centered around classes, fitness, and close friendships.

In November 2023, she met Shane Johnson through an online platform. Their bond formed quickly. “We basically lived together, were together every day after work and school, and always spent the night,” Oliva told People magazine.

They attended church on Sundays, spent time with Johnson’s friends, and settled into a rhythm that felt steady and full of promise. On April 14, 2024, Oliva and Johnson were planning to meet up with their friends. That day never went as planned

The car they were in crashed into a house in Phoenix, instantly killing Johnson. One of their friends, Aiden Ellis, also didn’t survive. Oliva, critically injured, was pulled from the wreckage and rushed to the hospital. She sustained multiple fractures to her face, skull, wrist, ribs, and pelvis.

The most severe injury was to her neck—two broken vertebrae, C5 and C6—which left her paralyzed from the neck down. Oliva said she has no memory of the accident and learned what happened from her sister. “I don’t remember the accident, but my sister told me about that day,” she recalled.

She spent nearly a month in a coma and close to three months in hospitals across Arizona, according to a report. Her first major hurdle was learning to breathe without a ventilator. During her second hospital stay, she was gradually weaned off it.

“My mom and I cried the first time I said ‘I love you,'” she said, recalling the moment she could finally speak again after six weeks of silence.

Weeks later, Oliva shared that Johnson had saved three other passengers in the crash. “I am beyond blessed that I was one of them,” she wrote in a tribute. She described him not only as her partner but as her best friend, someone who brought joy and stability into her life.

She remembered how he introduced her to his circle of friends, who quickly became like family. They had filled their time with dates, hockey games, movie nights, and weekends surrounded by laughter. Faith was something they shared, too.

In the same post, Oliva included notes from the last Sunday service they attended together: “Bless someone the way you want to be blessed,” “If you can’t bless, you can’t forgive,” and “Use what God has done in your life to help heal others.”

She ended the message with a personal sign-off: “Never forget ‘ITS US [sic].'” Beneath it, she wrote his full name and the date of his demise: Shane Brian Johnson, April 14, 2024.

She continues to honor his memory, cherishing the sacrifice he made. On Valentine’s Day 2025, she posted again. “Happy Valentine’s Day,” she wrote. “I’m so blessed to be the last person you loved. I love you until your last breath and so on.”

After months in Arizona hospitals, Oliva returned to her family’s home in Carlsbad. She had spent close to a month in a coma and several weeks learning to breathe without a ventilator. “I think I’ve just gotten used to it. It’s like, ‘Oh, this is every day now.’ I’ve lived it for eleven months,” she stated in March 2025.

Her mother, Rozlyn Sturtevant, was a self-employed business owner and a single parent before the crash. After the accident, she gave up her work to become Oliva’s full-time caregiver.

“The only thing I could do is surrender,” Sturtevant said. “And lean on faith, and on God.” She described the early months as mind-numbing, relying heavily on community support and the kindness of strangers.

At home, Oliva began adjusting to life with paralysis. “It’s more than just a broken neck,” she said. “I can’t feel from my chest down, my fingers don’t move, and I need help 24/7.” Sitting in one position too long could trigger discomfort and a need to be tilted in her wheelchair.

Still, she focused on what progress might be possible. “I’m fine walking, not walking—just as long as I can gain as much mobility,” she said.

On March 7, 2025, Oliva posted a short clip on TikTok that captured something she hadn’t experienced in 10 months. “Being paralyzed for 10 months and I moved my leg on my own for the first time today,” she wrote across the screen. In the background, her mother’s reaction could be heard.

It was a happy moment,” Oliva later shared. The movement came as a surprise. “I honestly thought it would be my fingers moving first,” she said. “I started making peace with my wheelchair, but then that happened, and I thought, ‘There’s hope. Something’s going to happen.'”

Since then, the signs of progress have continued, even if slowly. Her quad muscles activate when she shifts her body forward and backward. Sometimes, when she stretches, her legs or feet respond. Each small signal is a step forward.

In early March 2025, Oliva, her mother, and her aunt traveled to Portugal after learning about a retired physiotherapist who had agreed to take her on as a patient. The journey took more than 30 hours door to door. “It was rough. Thirty-one hours door to door. I didn’t sleep a wink,” Sturtevant said

Oliva’s take was simpler. “It was fine. I liked it. It wasn’t bad,” she said. The trip was made possible through community donations, and the therapy sessions in Portugal brought results that no prior rehabilitation had. The physiotherapist, known only as Maria, had come out of retirement specifically to work with Oliva

Her methods were unfamiliar to the family, but within two weeks, Oliva began to notice changes. “Her feet have never moved until we got here. Her legs have never moved until we got here for the last year,” her mother shared. Oliva also began gaining strength in her upper body, something she had not experienced since the crash.

Sturtevant acknowledged the cost and difficulty of traveling abroad for care but said it was worth it. “If she gains anything back, it’s worth every penny because it will impact the rest of her life,” she stated. Even with small gains, the core challenges of Oliva’s paralysis remain.

Her paralysis stems from damage to the C5 and C6 vertebrae in her neck, which severed communication between her brain and most of her body. She cannot feel anything from her chest down, and she has no movement in her fingers. She requires assistance around the clock for everything from bathing to eating.

According to the Cleveland Clinic, paralysis happens when the nervous system can no longer send signals to the muscles. The damage may result in partial or complete loss of movement. Some people experience flaccid muscles, while others deal with spasticity and involuntary spasms

Though treatment varies based on each case, most plans involve physical and occupational therapy, along with devices like wheelchairs, orthotics, or voice-activated tools. These are meant not to reverse the injury, but to support better function and quality of life.

In Oliva’s case, any movement, however small, matters. Each signal her body sends shows there is still activity within the nervous system and that recovery, however gradual, hasn’t stopped.

Oliva’s progress has been shaped not only by therapy, but also by community, much of it online. After sharing updates about her condition on TikTok, she began receiving encouragement from followers who had experienced similar injuries.

TikTok has helped so much,” she said. “I knew nothing about spinal injuries before, and now I have friends and followers who understand.” That sense of connection became especially important on the days when progress felt slow or pain overshadowed everything else

Fans have responded with words of encouragement. “By the grace of God you made it out alive, he will forever be with you. You are such a strong soul, keep pushing,” one person commented.

Others wrote, “You’re so strong never forget that,” “Oh my gosh I am so sorry for your loss. 😢 so so unfair,” and “I could never go through what you have, respect.”

Oliva has continued to document her journey, not just to share her progress but also to create space for others who are navigating paralysis. The online community has helped carry her through the moments when physical therapy wasn’t enough on its own.

Oliva has also drawn strength from her church community. She became a Christian in 2019, but her relationship with faith deepened significantly after the accident. Faith hasn’t erased the hard days, but it has helped her navigate them.

I have hard days where I cry and get rude to people, and good days where I’m motivated,” she said. Even when the physical pain is constant, it gives her something to hold on to. Rather than asking why this happened, she chooses to focus on how to move forward.