BELLWOOD - Denielle Minori has the same goals as many other young ladies.
''I want to go to college and get married,'' blurts out the bubbly 21-year-old daughter of Dennis and Gloria Minori of Tipton.
Just four years ago, Denielle couldn't even talk.
After completing the first day of her junior year at Bellwood-Antis High School in August 2004, tragedy struck.
Denielle was driving to meet a friend in Portage when her car ran off Route 164 and struck a utility pole.
She didn't appear seriously injured, with just a few cuts on her shoulder, but the impact of the crash caused a diffuse brain injury and she was taken to Memorial Medical Center, Johnstown, by medical helicopter.
''The doctors said, 'Get your family here; she is very very sick.' There was a good possibility she wouldn't survive because of the pressure on her brain,'' Dennis Minori said.
Denielle remained in intensive care in a drug-induced coma for about three or four weeks.
''We didn't know what to expect. There was no one who could say where she would be in a year, let alone in two weeks,'' Dennis Minori said.
Despite several medical setbacks including a brain infection and spinal meningitis, Denielle survived and came home in a wheelchair in May 2005.
She faced a long road to recovery.
She was unable to use her right side, had trouble with balance, cognitive problems and couldn't walk or talk.
During her early recovery, Denielle underwent speech, occupational and physical therapy at HealthSouth Rehabilitation Hospital and Easter Seals-Central Pennsylvania in Altoona.
''She couldn't say any words. She couldn't even open her mouth. Her first words were ''yes'' and ''no;'' she wasn't speaking at all. Now we can't shut her up and we will never try to shut her up again,'' Dennis Minori said.
Her brother Joshua also helped with rehabilitation.
''He was hard on her, but we attribute him for a lot of the gains she made in physical therapy,'' Dennis Minori said.
Since coming home, Denielle has progressed from walking with a walker to two canes to a single cane.
''Now she can walk down the hall with no cane but she has to hold onto things,'' Dennis Minori said. ''She scares the living daylights out of me.''
She returned to Bellwood-Antis in January 2006 but needed help.
Robin Deamer, an educational therapist at the Discovery Center at Great Commission School in Altoona, was brought in to work with Denielle.
''She provided her with educational therapy that helped stimulate all parts of the brain,'' Dennis Minori said. ''Robin deserves credit for a lot of her initial early recovery.''
Deamer said working with Denielle was like working with a stroke victim.
''She had brain trauma. She could think and write but to say it was something else,'' Deamer said.
After a neuropsychological evaluation by Dr. Sue Beers in Pittsburgh, which was recommended by Bellwood-Antis officials, it was suggested that Denielle be put in a private school for students with brain injuries; however, there were no facilities in Pennsylvania for young people with brain injuries.
The Minoris visited the May Institute in Brockton, Mass., which specializes in providing comprehensive services to children and adolescents with autism, brain injury, developmental and behavioral disorders.
Denielle enrolled in May 2006 and spent more than two years at the facility.
Enrolling their daughter at the institute more than 400 miles from home was difficult but turned out to be a good decision.
''Taking Denielle up to the May Institute, we went on a big leap of faith. It was not an easy decision to be that far away,'' Gloria Minori said.
''We had a very good experience up there. She made tremendous gains. Every time she would come home we saw something different with her,'' Dennis Minori said. ''They tried to get her into the community. She learned to ski with a seat skier, did boating; she had jobs to do, she delivered Meals on Wheels.''
Christina Bellas, who now serves as associate director of education at the May Institute, was Denielle's classroom teacher for about a year.
''Denielle was always a pleasure to work with. She always gave 110 percent. The greatest thing was seeing the progress she made. To see how her vocabulary expanded, from naming things to conversations was one of the best things,'' Bellas said. ''She had to learn to walk again; she has definitely come a long, long way.''
Denielle left the May Institute Aug. 15, her birthday, and received her high school diploma from the Bellwood-Antis school board in September.
''It felt great to get my diploma, it felt fantastic,'' Denielle said.
Bellwood-Antis Superintendent Brian Toth said it was a pleasure to present Denielle with her diploma.
''Her stamina, character and strong will and desire are above and beyond what you see in a student,'' Toth said. ''It is rare you see that dedication to overcome what happened to her medically in that accident.''
Denielle is continuing with physical and speech therapies, and her parents hope she can further her education, possibly at the Hiram G. Andrews Rehabilitation Center in Johnstown, which focuses on career opportunities and independent life skills.
''The sky is the limit. We want to continue with her academic abilities,'' Gloria Minori said. ''I want a life for her where she is part of society and a contributing citizen and not totally dependent on others - that is the goal.''
Denielle continues to maintain a positive attitude.
''Life would have been more enjoyable without the accident, but what I think is more important is the progress she has made and where she is at,'' Dennis Minori said. ''She laughs and is fun to be with. She doesn't dwell on the past.''
Deamer, who is working with Denielle again, praised the Minoris.
''This family is a very unique family. They are 100 percent dedicated to their daughter,'' Deamer said. ''I am so amazed to see the difference in the progress she has made, it has been tremendous.''
Mirror Staff Writer Walt Frank is at 946-7467.
