A twelve-year-old Anchor Point girl who lost both her legs in a 2014 Christmas Day accident has returned to school.
Angelica Haakenson now has prosthetic legs after over six surgeries months of recovery in Seattle and Anchorage.
Her aunt, Emily Haakenson, said earlier this year that she kept an upbeat spirit through the ordeal.
Emily: “[She] definitely has some tough day and it’s something that you never expect to have to adjust to but shes got good spirits and definitely has a great support system there with her.”
Angelica was traveling with her mother after a family dinner last Christmas when the truck they were in had engine troubles.
While parked along the road near mile 145.5 of the Sterling Highway, a fellow Anchor Point resident stopped to assist in jumping the car but while the three were working on it, an oncoming SUV slid and hit the immobile truck, throwing Angelica’s pregnant mother to the ditch and pinning Angelica between the vehicles.
Her mother recovered and delivered Angelica’s baby sister Breayleigh in July.
Angelica returned to school, whose staff had prepped by explaining to other students what had happened to try to make her feel comfortable.
She has been elected to the Chapman School Student Council and gotten involved with the soccer and swim programs.
The school is also installing ramps in various areas to assist Angelica in getting around.