ELBOW LAKE, Minn. — A West Central Minnesota teenager has an incredible story of courage and perseverance that has brought her from Elbow Lake, Minn., to Fargo-Moorhead and the HOPE Inc.
team of athletes. A tragic lawn mower accident nearly took her life as a toddler. Now, nothing holds her back.
Jubilee Nygren, 14, was recently doing a little shopping with her family. She was searching for some merchandise at HOPE Inc.'s annual fashion show, held Saturday, Oct.
26, at Horizon Middle School in Moorhead. She is the newest athlete to join the local nonprofit and she has sled hockey on her mind. Jubilee's journey here started with tragedy.
She lost part of her right leg and arm in a lawn mower accident at the age of four. On the way to the hospital, the family car rolled. This is just months after the Nygren family lost their entire house to fire.
"It was definitely overwhelming, but we look to God for strength for everything and he has pulled through and been awesome every time," Barb Nygren, Jubilee's mom, said. Jubilee never sat still following the accident. Despite the partial loss of her arm and leg, she has been in dance, cheer team, theater and often sings in church.
Now, she hopes to get on the ice to try sled hockey. "Some people think it is weird when they see people with prosthetics, but I feel like it would be nice to normalize it," Jubilee said. The Nygrens have a deep faith and they say Jubilee's story has taught them all something: Just don't give up.
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