Updated Oct. 19, 2026, 3:35 p.m. ET
At 27, Jessie Owen felt fulfilled in her life. As a sixth-grade teacher in Seattle, she had a cozy apartment, enjoyed weekends with friends, trained for triathlons, and cherished family dinners on Sundays.
However, her life was drastically altered in December 2012 when a tree weighed down by snow crashed onto the car she was in with her family. The tragic accident took the lives of her parents, left her siblings injured, and resulted in Owen’s paralysis.
Following the incident, she underwent a year of hospitalization and rehabilitation. “I felt terrified of being alone,” she recalled. Friends, family, and lawyers frequently visited her, often spending the night in her hospital room.
“I lost everything. Everything. My job, my home, my independence, my parents…,” Owen, now 41, reflected. “That was a lot of trauma. I don’t think my brain fully processed it all.”
Initially, Owen believed that with hard work, she could regain most of her mobility. “I envisioned a recovery that had me walking again,” she stated. Eventually, as she recognized the severity of her injuries, that vision faded. Gradually, she began to concentrate on what she could accomplish, such as dating. Sharing her journey online led to a following of over 700,000 on platforms like TikTok, Instagram, and Facebook. Her mission? To offer the hope she lacked as someone newly paralyzed.
Reflecting on her early recovery, Owen realized she’s achieved more than she ever thought possible. Becoming a mother, for one, was beyond her wildest dreams.
She described the moment the ultrasound tech detected her baby’s heartbeat for the first time—”I got emotional, realizing this was everything I ever wanted but thought was out of reach. I doubted I could ever find love or have children.”
The surprise continued when the technician announced a second heartbeat.
Owen laughed, thinking to herself, “Of course we’re doing this the hard way. This is totally on brand for me. And here we are, with a geriatric, quadriplegic twin pregnancy.”
Dating, marriage, and motherhood as a quadriplegic
In her initial years post-accident, Owen did experience some improvement in her leg function, but her hands posed a greater challenge. Participating in a six-month clinical trial involving various treatments, she went in without high expectations, yet the allure of greater independence motivated her to try anything.
That trial led to the creation of Arc-Ex, an FDA-approved spinal stimulation device designed to enhance strength and sensation in the hands of paralyzed individuals.
“Before the trial, I couldn’t put my hair in a ponytail. Well, I still can’t, but I’m getting closer,” she remarked. She sees any progress as meaningful.
The treatment made daily tasks feel 5% to 20% easier, depending on the day. The trial instilled in her a renewed sense of possibility and confidence, prompting her to explore online dating.
Some dates were difficult, as people wanted her entire history at once while others were more relaxed about her wheelchair. She preferred the latter.
“I went on a lot of not-so-great dates. But honestly, that made it fun,” Owen said. “Eventually, I met this fantastic guy with a mustache, and I made him fall so hard he proposed.”
Just three months after their wedding, she learned she was pregnant. Though the pregnancy was physically challenging, she had worries about motherhood responsibilities. Owen understood she might struggle with tasks like changing diapers or lifting her babies from their cribs. Fortunately, her husband eased those concerns.
“I clearly remember him saying, ‘That’s okay. I’m more than happy to handle that because parenting isn’t just physical,'” she shared. “When you think of your own parents, do you remember them changing your diaper or being there for you, talking and playing with you?”
Her twin boys are now four years old, and Owen documents her life as a quadriplegic mother on social media.
“I wish I could have seen someone with a similar journey when I was first injured,” she said. “I didn’t know anyone who was paralyzed, definitely no women, let alone those who had children and found love post-injury.”
Today, her platform not only invites opportunities for speaking engagements but also allows her to collaborate with disability advocacy groups. While it’s easy to focus on her traumatic past, Owen emphasizes her knack for seeking joy.
“This is undeniably the life I want to live,” she stated, admitting that not being able to walk “isn’t really that bad,” a sentiment she never thought she’d express after waking up paralyzed. “I have meaningful work, a home I love that accommodates me, a husband who is thoroughly in love with me, and twin boys who adore me. And honestly, I’m so happy.”
