From rehab to graduation

walking across the stage for that diploma is a feat for many high school seniors. but for isabel hernandez… it has extra special meaning. she and her 13- year-old brother pablo were both seriously hurt in a car crash two years ago. pablo did not survive. isabel did. and it’s been a long, difficult road to recovery. isabel was forced to learn how to walk all over again. and we’re all about to see her determination pay off. welcome back to abc-seven at six, i’m rick cabrera. and i’m estela cas. abc-seven’s stephanie valle met with isabel as she prepares to graduate tomorrow. it’s a story you’ll see only on abc- seven: nats the last time we saw isabel hernandez — she was 15 — in physical rehab — struggling to put one foot in front of the other. nats fast-forward 26 months later. isabel is walking — happier, healthier. eager to move on. 3.10 it makes me really happy because since i was in the hospital all i wanted to do was be normal again. 3.18 be able to do things that everyone else my age can do. 3.22 like going to prom. participating in the senior gala. taking senior pictures. and passing the time, waiting for the school year to end. 16.40 it’s awesome that she’s come a long way. english teacher and family friend linda ramos. 15.59 i feel a lot a pride in her, i feel that she’s exceptionally a good student. she’s awesome. her accomplishments memorialized in the horizon high school yearbook. 4.47 isabel says once she finishes school here at horizon, she’ll set her sights on utep. isabel wants to study psychology, a career she chose because of her own life experience. 2.37 it’s really tough emotionally, almost more than physically. 2.43 2.44 and it carries on long after the incident’s happened and i would really like to help people who go through that. 2.51 and she would also like to help her classmates. to keep them from experiencing what she’s had to endure. 5.18 it’s not just about you, it’s not about just hurting yourself, it’s about hurting others. you can make someone’s life miserable if you just make the wrong decision.5.28 for now — it’s about graduating. moving on. 2.10 of course i’ll never forget, that’s what drives me. 2.15 give up. if you have a goal, you keep working hard to achieve it, and you’ll end up achieving it. 4.12 sv, abc-7. julian tapia was charged with intoxicated manslaughter in the death of pablo hernandez. his trial has been pushed back several times… but court records show that the 35- year-old is scheduled trial on september 26.