Now, Gina Arnold has no abdominal muscles and can't lift anything heavier than 15 pounds.
It's a miracle Gina Arnold is alive.
Arnold was almost killed in a horrific car crash in Michigan in October 2017. She was saved by her seat belt, but it came at a price.
"It cut my whole abdominal wall like a sword," Arnold told Inside Edition.
The 22-year-old was coming home from college. Always a responsible driver, she fastened her seat belt. But then Arnold lost control of the car and the vehicle flipped seven times before hitting a tree.
Arnold was rushed to the hospital in critical condition. There, doctors performed a risky operation to save her life, sewing a large surgical mesh, usually used to repair a hernia, across her entire stomach to hold her organs in place.
Two years after the crash, Arnold has no abdominal muscles and wears a belt to keep everything in place. She can't lift anything heavier than 15 pounds and still suffers from pain and swelling.
At Henry Ford Macomb Health Center in Richmond, Michigan, Arnold is undergoing very controlled physical therapy, strengthening her body and improving her balance.
She's now doing things she never thought possible.
"I thought I would never be able to kick a soccer ball again," said Arnold.
And she's able to drive again too. Despite everything that happened, she still buckles up every time.
"I'm extremely lucky to be alive," she said.
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