>>> SO, IMAGINE BEING TRAPPED INSIDE YOUR OWN BODY, UNABLE TO COMMUNICATE, APPARENTLY, IN A VEGETATIVE STATE. YET, THE WHOLE TIME BEING ALIVE IN MIND AND SPIRIT AND DESPERATE TO TELL THE WORLD YOU DO HEAR, YOU DO SEE AND YOU DO UNDERSTAND. THAT WAS THE REALITY FOR FOUR YEARS FOR OUR NEXT GUEST, VICTORIA. THIS IS HER STORY.MOVE. SHE'S AN ANCHOR FOR ESPN. A FINIST ON "DANCING WITH THE STARS" AND AN OLYMPIC SWIMMER. SHE FIRST KNEW SOMETHING WAS WRONG WITH HER WHEN SHE WAS 11. >> WHEN I STARTED GETTING SICK, I WAS CONFUSED. I WAS ASKING, YOU KNOW, WHY CAN'T I GET OUT OF BED? WHY AREN'T MY LEGS MOVING? >> Reporter: AS A CHILD, VICTORIA LOVED TO DANCE AND WAS A PROMISING ATHLETE. IT CAME AS A SURPRISE WHEN SHE DEVELOPED A SERIES OF ILLNESSES, EACH WORSE THAN THE LAST. >> I STARTED GETTING THE FLU ALL THE TIME. I WAS GETTING PNEUMONIA. I WOULD HAVE FAINTING SPELLS. MY MOM DESCRIBED IT AS THE STARS WERE MISALIGNED. >> Reporter: VICTOVICTORIA'S PA WATCHED THEIR DAUGHTER SHUT DOWN. >> IT WAS LIKE A CIRCUIT BOARD. SLOWLY THINGS WERE GETTING SWITCHED OFF. FIRST, THE LEGS STARTED GRAG DRAGGING. THEN HER LEGS WENT. AND THEN, I NOTICED SHE WAS BECOMING LESS AND LESS ENGAGED. THERE IS NOTHING WORSE IN THE WORLD THAN WATCHING YOUR CHILD DETERIORATE IN FRONT OF YOUR EYES. >> Reporter: DOCTORS EVENTUALLY MADE A DIAGNOSIS. VICTORIA HAD TWO AUTOIMMUNE KISS ORDERS THAT CAUSED INFLAMMATION OF HER BRAIN AND SPINAL CORD. TO THE OUTSIDER, IT LOOKED LIKE VICTORIA WAS MENTALLY GONE. >> WE THOUGHT THIS IS HOW IT WAS GOING TO BE FOREVER. I HAD HER AND I WAS GOING TO TAKE CARE OF HER HOWEVER SHE WAS. SHE WAS MY CHILD. >> Reporter: BUT VICTOIA WAS AWARE OF HER SURROUNDINGS. SHE JUST COULDN'T MOVE OR COMMUNICATE. SHE WAS TRAPPED INSIDE HER OWN BODY. >> IT REALLY HIT ME WHEN I WAS 15 AND I WAS LOCKED IN AND I COULD UNDERSTAND IT FULLY AND PUT ALL OF THE PIECES OF THE PUZZLE BACK TOGETHER THAT I WAS TERRIFIED BECAUSE THERE'S NO WORSE FEELING THAN BEING AWARE BUT NOT BEING ABLE TO COMMUNICATE OR GIVE YOUR FAMILY ANY SIGN THAT YOU'RE IN THERE. >> JOINING ME NOW, VICTORIA ARLEN, ALONG WITH HER MOTHER, JACQUELINE. WOW. TWO AUTOIMMUNE ISSUES HIT YOU AT THE SAME TIME. YOUR BODY STARTS SHUTTING DOWN. AND FOR FOUR YEARS, YOU WERE IN THAT PLACE THAT WE SAW ON THAT VIDEOTAPE. >> YES. >> SITTING HERE TODAY, YOU HAVE A CONSCIOUS MEMORY OF THE FOUR YEARS? >> I DO, YES. I DON'T RECOMMEND ANYONE SPEND THAT MUCH TIME HAVING NOTHING BUT TIME TO THINK. BUT YES, I DO. I THINK IT'S A HUGE PART OF THE PERSON I AM TODAY. IT OBVIOUSLY IS. BUT IT'S SURREAL WATCHING THE FOOTAGE BECAUSE IT FEELS LIKE SUCH A LIFETIME AGO. BUT AT OTHER TIMES, IT FEELS LIKE IT WAS YESTERDAY. >> WE ALL HAVE THE NIGHTMARE WHERE WE TRY TO SCREAM AND NOTHING COMES OUT. >> IT'S THAT NIGHTMARE TIMES A MILLION. I DIDN'T REALIZE I WAS LOCKED IN. I HAD A FUZZY DISTORTED MEMORY. AND THEN NO ONE IS RESPONDING AND I CAN'T MOVE MY EYES. THAT'S WHEN I REALIZED, THEY DON'T KNOW THAT I'M IN HERE. THEY DON'T KNOW THAT I'M LOCKED IN. SO, I INITIALLY STARTED TO PANIC. I REALIZED THAT I CAN'T -- PANICKING IS NOT GOING TO SOLVE ANYTHING. I NEED TO FOCUS ON BEING GRATEFUL FOR THE MERE FACT THAT I WAS ALIVE. AND THEN, FINDING EACH DAY, THINGS TO BE GRATEFUL FOR. >> I KNOW THE DOCTORS TOLD YOU, JACQUELINE, THAT SHE HAD ZERO CHANCE OF SURVIVING? IS THAT TRUE? >> THEY DID. THEY ACTUALLY, THEY WEREN'T SURE WHAT WAS GOING ON WITH HER AT THE TIME. THEY DIDN'T OFFER ME A LOT OF HOPE OR US AS A FAMILY. >> AND YOU WEREN'T A BIG CRYER. BUT YOU DID BREAK DOWN AT SOME POINT. AND YOU WERE AWARE OF IT. >> YES. I WAS -- THAT WAS THE MOMENT WHEN I REALLY KIND OF BECAME DETERMINED TO SURVIVE. >> DESCRIBE THE MOMENT. >> WE WERE IN ICU AND A DOCTOR WALKED IN AND SAID, YOU KNOW, THIS IS WHAT I THINK SHE HAS. AND YOU NEED TO ACCEPT THE FACT THAT YOUR CHILD IS GOING TO DIE. AND THEN, HE LEFT. AND THERE WAS NO ONE ELSE THERE AND WE -- MY FAMILY HAD BEEN TAKING SHIFTS AND THIS HAPPENED TO BE A WINDOW WHEN IT WAS JUST MY MOM AND I. AND I SAW MY MOM CRY. THE ONLY TIME I SAW HER CRY OTHER THAN HAPPY TEARS. AND THAT'S WHEN I WAS, LIKE, I'LL BE DAMNED IF THIS IS HOW MY STORY IS GOING TO END. AND I DON'T WANT TO SEE THAT AGAIN. I DON'T WANT TO. >> YOU'RE LYING IN THE BED, SEEING YOUR MOM BREAK DOWN AND UNABLE TO SAY, MOM. >> THAT'S WHEN I WANTED TO SCREAM. I WANTED TO SAY, I'LL GET BACK TO YOU, I PROMISE. I LOVE YOU. I AM NEVER GOING TO EVER LET THAT HAPPEN AGAIN. THAT'S WHEN I REALLY WENT INTO SURVIVAL MODE. >> FOR FOUR YEARS, YOU NEVER GAVE UP HOPE, DESPITE WHAT YOU WERE BEING TOLD. >> YOU DON'T GIVE UP ON YOUR CHILD. >> YOU AND YOUR HUSBAND. >> RIGHT. YES. WE WERE SO ALONE AS A FAMILY. IT'S DIFFERENT IF YOU HAVE A DIAGNOSIS OF CANCER OR SOMETHING THEY UNDERSTAND. THEY WRAP AROUND AND THEY HAVE A PLAN. BECAUSE THEY DIDN'T UNDERSTAND WHAT WAS GOING ON, THEY COULDN'T HELP US. [ APPLAUSE ] >>> WE'RE BACK, NOW, WITH VICTORIA ARLEN AND HER MOTHER, JACQUELINE. VICTORIA SPENT FOUR YEARS TRAPPED IN HER OWN BODY, LOCKED IN, AS SHE CALLED IT, AS TWO RARE CANS LEFT HER IN A VEGETATIVE STATE. BUT VICTORIA AND HER MOTHER DID NOT GIVE UP EVEN WHEN THE ODDS WERE STACKED AGAINST HER AND THE DOCTORS TOLD YOU IT WOULDN'T TURN AROUND. YOU'RE 11 WHEN IT STARTS. FOUR YEARS LATER, YOU'RE 15, RIGHT? >> YES. >> WHAT WAS THE FIRST THING YOU WERE ABLE TO DO THAT YOUR MOM SAW AND WAS LIKE, OH, MY GOD. >> I WAS HAVING SEIZURES FOR 20 HOURS A DAY. AND THEY WERE JUST NONSTOP. AND SO, THE DOCTORS WERE TRYING TO GET ME TO SLEEP BECAUSE I WOULDN'T SLEEPING. AND SO, THEY GAVE ME A SLEEPING MEDICATION THAT DIDN'T PUT ME TO SLEEP. BUT IT STOPPED THE SEIZURE. AND SOMEHOW TARGETED THE NEUROTRANSMITTER THAT WAS MISFIRING. I REALIZED I HAD CONTROL OF MY EYES. AND FIRST OFF, I TOOK A LOOK AROUND AND WAS LIKE, THIS IS FREEDOM. THIS IS AMAZING. I REALIZED -- >> BEFORE, YOU WERE ABLE TO STARE STRAIGHT AHEAD. IT WAS EITHER IN THE BACK OF MY HEAD OR FIXATED WHERE THEY WANTED TO GO. I COULDN'T CONTROL THEM. I WAS SO EXCITED ABOUT THAT. I WAS LIKE, WHERE IS MY MOM? I HAVE BIG BROWN EYES. AND SINCE I WAS A BABY, YOU'VE ALWAYS BEEN ABLE TO KNOW WHAT I'M FEELING AND THINKING JUST THROUGH MY EYES. I WAS LIKE, MOMMA, WHERE ARE YOU. AND SHE COMES WALKING IN AND I JUST LOCK EYES AND I'M TRACKING HER. AND SHE NOTICES THAT I'M NO LONGER -- IT WAS VERY UNATTRACTIVE EYE ROLL I WOULD DO. AND SHE NOTICED I WAS FIXATED ON HER AND LOOKING DIRECTLY AT HER. AND SHE WALKED OVER AND SAID, IF YOU CAN HEAR ME, CAN YOU BLINK. BLINK ONCE. BLINK TWICE. JUST BLINK. AND I JUST -- I AM BLINKING. AND THAT WAS -- THAT WAS WHAT GAVE MY FAMILY THE SIGN THAT I WAS IN THERE. >> YOU HAVE TO TELL US WHAT THAT FELT LIKE. >> THROUGHOUT THIS JOURNEY, VICTORIA SUFFERED GREATLY, WHETHER IT WAS PAIN OR THESE SEIU SEIZURES. TO HAVE THEM STOP, IF NOTHING ELSE, JUST TO HAVE THE SEIZE CH SEIZURES STOP WAS HUGE. AND I SAW HER EYES FOR THE FIRST TIME. WE WERE LOCKED AND I KNEW SHE WAS IN THERE. IT DID NOT TAKE LONG TO FIGURE OUT, WE HAD A COMMUNICATION. >> CLEARLY, WE'RE WORKING ON THAT. >> HOW LONG WAS IT FROM THAT MOMENT TO, YOU KNOW, SHE'S WELL AGAIN? YOU'RE TALKING. >> I HAVEN'T STOPPED SINCE. I HAVEN'T STOPPED TALKING SINCE. IT WAS ABOUT A SIX-MONTH PROCESS OF ME -- I HAD TO RELEARN EVERYTHING. SO, FROM THE SIMPLEST OF WIGGLING ONE FINGER TO ANOTHER FINGER TO LIFTING MY ARMS. THERE'S A LOT OF MUSCLE ATROPHY. AND MAKING NOISES AGAIN, GETTING TRUNK CONTROL. >> WAS IT ADDITIONAL MEDICATIONS ONCE THEY SAW YOU WERE IN THERE OR WHAT? >> NO. >> YOU CAME OUT OF IT NATURALLY? >> YEAH. THEY GOT ON TOP OF THE SEIZURES. OTHER THAN THAT, THEY WERE LIKE, WE DON'T KNOW THE EXTENT OF THE DAMAGE. WE DON'T KNOW HOW TO. I'M LIKE, I'M COMING BACK LIKE A GANGBUSTER. I HAD STUFF TO DO. >> HERE'S THE INCREDIBLE THING. SHE DIDN'T -- SHE WAS IN A WHEELCHAIR FOR HOW MANY YEARS? >> TEN YEARS. >> FOR TEN YEARS. AND IS IT TRUE THAT DOCTORS TOLD YOU -- >> I WAS TOLD I WOULD NEVER WALK AGAIN. BUT I'M STUBBORN IN THAT SENSE. IF YOU -- YOU'RE NOT GOD. YOU CAN'T TELL ME WHAT I CAN AND CAN'T DO. BUT THEY SAID THAT I WOULD -- THAT THIS AWAKENING WAS A MIRACLE BUT I HAD IRREVERSIBLE DAMAGE TO MY SPINAL CORD AND I WOULD BE PARALYZED FOR THE REST OF MY LIFE. >> THE DOCTORS DON'T SEEM LIKE THEY KNOW WHAT THEY'RE TALKING ABOUT. HOW LONG AGO DID YOU BEGIN WALKING? >> TWO YEARS AGO, THIS MONTH, ACTUALLY. >> WHEN WERE YOU ON "DANCING WITH THE STARS"? >> THIS PAST FALL. >> UNBELIEVABLE. NOW, YOU'RE WORKING ON A CAMPAIGN TO DO WHAT? >> I HAVE JUST TEAMED UP WITH JOCKEY. I'M THE NEW FACE OF JOCKEY UNDERWEAR, WHICH IS AWESOME. I'M SO EXCITED. IT'S THE SHOW THEM CAMPAIGN. >> LOOK AT YOU. >> IT'S ABOUT SHOWING PEOPLE. THERE I AM. >> LOOK AT YOU. >> EVERYONE DOES YOGA IN THEIR UNDERWEAR. I'VE BEEN A FAN OF JOCKEY FOR A LONG TIME. I'M EXCITED TO TEAM UP WITH JOCKEY. >> IT PAYS THE BILLS, TOO. YOU'RE A PAID SPOKESPERSON AND THAT'S GOOD, AS WELL. >> IT'S A FAMILY-OWNED COMPANY AND A COMPANY THAT REALLY STANDS FOR WHAT ARE YOU ALL ABOUT? AND FOR ME, PEOPLE SEE THE OUTSIDE. THEY SEE THE MEDALS, ESPN, DANCING, A LOT OF GLITZ AND GLAM. BUT REALLY, WHAT IS IT? WHAT DO YOU STAND FOR UNDERNEATH? AND FOR ME, I'M ALL ABOUT FAITH AND GRATITUDE AND HOPE. SO, JOCKEY HAS GIVEN ME THIS INCREDIBLE PLATFORM TO SHOW THEM FAITH, SHOW THEM GRATITUDE, AND SHOW THEM HOPE AND SHOW THEM WHAT'S UNDERNEATH, LITERALLY SOMETIMES, TOO. >> GIRL, YOU LOOK GOOD. YOU LOOK REALLY GOOD. YOUR STORY IS AMAZING. >> THANK YOU. >> ARE YOU OKAY? DO YOU FEEL WELL? >> YES. >> YOUR PROGNOSIS IS FINE? >> I LOVE GOING TO NEW DOCTORS AND THEY LOOK AT MY MEDICAL CHARTS AND ARE LIKE, OKAY, WHERE IS THE PATIENT? I'M LIKE, HELLO. I'M RIGHT HERE. BY THE GRACE OF GOD, I'M IN THE BEST HEALTH I'VE EVER BEEN IN. >> WOW. AMEN. GOOD LUCK TO YOU.
