SAN DIEGO (KGTV) — One thing that cannot go unnoticed about Danika Whitsett is her laugh, and the fact that she is in a wheelchair.
"I don't want people to look at me differently — even though they already do," said Whitsett, when asked about her positive attitude.
However, even the most positive people need help sometimes.
Whitsett says she was in a car accident in 2018 in Arizona. She spent several days in a coma and was paralyzed from the waist down.
She says she has been using the same wheelchair ever since the accident.
"It could snap at any moment," said Whitsett, referring to her wheelchair.
She has replaced parts here and there herself, using lawn mower tires and holding the backrest together with a single screw.
Whitsett posted a TikTok and created a GoFundMe, asking the internet for help buying a new wheelchair.
A new wheelchair will cost her roughly $5,200 after insurance.
"Sometimes you can't do it alone," said Whitsett, after giving in to friends and family who encouraged her to organize the fundraiser.
By the next morning, Whitsett reached her goal of $5,000 donated.
The support kept flooding in.
Her TikTok was continuously shared, getting more than 140,000 views.
Her GoFundMe has already eclipsed the $20,000 mark.
"I started actually crying happy tears — and I was like, 'I don't understand,'" said Whitsett.
With her platform on social media, Whitsett hopes she can spark change when it comes to the healthcare system for people who need to use wheelchairs.
"Number 1: Wheelchairs should not be as expensive as they are. Number 2: I feel like insurance should not be as big of a hassle to have to deal with," said Whitsett.
