Overcoming the Odds: Cerebral palsy

NEW YORK (FOX5NY) - Julia Giammona is a fighter. She has cerebral palsy that affects her hands and legs. But that doesn't stop her. Julia has been carving her own path since she was a little girl.

Her parents, John and Roseann, brought her to physical therapist Dr. Zaghloul Ahmed when she was very young.

Julia says that doctors told her that she would never be able to walk and would need to be in a wheelchair for the rest of her life.

But Julia and her parents didn't give up hope and traveled to Poland for extensive therapy. The therapy was hours per day for six days a week a day for four weeks. It took Julia from being wheelchair-bound to being about to walk with crutches.

Julia still works hard. She meets with Dr. Ahmed multiple times a week hoping to strengthen her muscles.

But behind the struggle and the smile, there are times when this 21-year-old wonders about her future.

Julia is a senior at St. Francis College and will graduate in May with a degree in communications. This past summer she interned at Fox 5. Now she has her own dreams of getting in front of the camera.

Julia is busy reporting for her college TV station. When she puts her mind to something, she gets it.