Nekhidia Harris' college graduation was more of a milestone for her than it might have been for most.
Nekhidia Harris' college graduation was more of a milestone for her than it might have been for most.
That's because when she was born, Harris was given just three days to live.
But the three days passed, and then more days passed, and Harris was eventually sent home from the hospital with her family. Still, doctors weren't hopeful.
"The doctors told my parents that I wouldn't be able to write, walk read and other motor skills," Harris, now 25, told InsideEdition.com.
She has a disease that makes her bones especially brittle, meaning they break easily. Over the years, she's broken her bones dozens of times and undergone multiple surgeries.
She hasn't let it hold her back. At just 3 feet tall, Harris is a force to reckoned with. She made it all the way to Medgar Evers College in Brooklyn, New York, from which she recently graduated with a bachelor's degree in social work.
"I was excited and then I was like, 'Oh my gosh, I don't want to cry,'" she said of the moment she accepted her diploma. "They were tears of joy that I really got to this moment."
And she's not done. Next up? A master's in social work.
While she's been working on her dreams, she's also been helping others with their educational aspirations through her family's foundation, The Harris Family Vision Foundation. She encourages others to be charitable regardless of their abilities.
"Don't let anybody stop you from achieving your dreams," Harris said. "If you want to give back, give back a little bit even if it's a prayer. Or donate to an organization even if you don't have the funds to go all over the place. Find an organization and do that. Don't let anything stop you."
RELATED STORIES
