She was the mother of a three year old who struck out for New York City to finally follow her dream.

She wanted to act.

Tonia Abbott was working several jobs while waiting for her big break, when early on a December morning in 1991, a three car crash stole her stage and put her on another platform.

My car flipped and along came a jeep and hit me. And that left me paralyzed from the waist down.

Tonia Abbott spent four months in the hospital and then came back to Pensacola for years of outpatient therapy. There were also the emotional scars to heal but Tonia knew she had to get moving.

Tonia Abbott, Realtor; My daughter. I had a three year old daughter. And how could I be a role model for her, lying in bed doing nothing for myself.

She decided she wanted to become a realtor. In some opinions, not the most likely choice for someone confined to a wheelchair.

Bette Phillips, Vocational Rehabilitation; She knew what she wanted to do. She made a plan for it. She wanted to know what services we could provide to assist her. She particiapted in the services and she followed through.

Vocational rehab helped pay for her real estate courses and made her van more accessible.

Tonia; Just because somebody says, I don't think you can, to me, I have to show I can. Breaking down those barriers; there's always a way.

SOUND: MOTOR WON'T START.

A few more barriers crop up from time to time. Right now, Tonia knows her aging van is about to give out on her. Replacing it will be one more hurdle for her to try to make.

Patricia Lawrence, Keller Williams Realty; When I'm having maybe a mundane day or facing challenges of my own, and you're right, when I see her drive up, I think, it's nothing compared to what she's facing.

She says she can face these challenges believing that God is using her to encourage others.

I want to leave a legacy for my grandchildren. To say, you know, "Hey, my grandmother, she did the best that she could do to give us what we have today."