Chelsie Hill talks about her experience with the coronavirus. (Photo: Getty Images)
Chelsie Hill lives most of her life like an open book, sharing her experiences as a woman who uses a wheelchair to get around after suffering a spinal cord injury during a car accident that left her unable to walk. But even after sharing the highs and lows of everyday life with a disability, Hill tells Yahoo Life that she was reluctant to tell her community that she had the coronavirus after testing positive following a work trip with her fiancé.
“When I first realized that I was getting sick, I was a little hesitant [to post]. I was like, ‘Oh man, I just went on a trip. I’m gonna get backlash,’” she explains. “But I try and always just use every opportunity to educate and be open with what’s going on.”
With the coronavirus at the forefront of everyone’s minds, Hill admits that talking openly about it is controversial. But while other public figures on social media might go dark instead of sharing certain life experiences, Hill explains that she isn’t one to shy away from those difficult conversations.
“I was paralyzed in a drunk driving accident when I was 17 and right away I wanted to Skype my school while I was still in the hospital,” Hill recalls. “I want my school, I want my classmates to know that the girl that was once running around made a mistake of getting in the car with a drunk driver. And now I’m paralyzed.”
Since the accident that changed her life, Hill has adopted the “mentality” of using her own life experience to educate others. “If I can educate someone, especially about something like drinking and driving, then maybe I could save someone from making the same mistake I did,” she shares.
