Stella Turnbull’s genetic disease meant she couldn’t speak. She couldn’t walk. She couldn’t swallow. And save for some small gestures with her face and her fingertips — just enough to control her motorized wheelchair, really — she couldn’t move. At one month old, Stella was diagnosed with Spinal Muscular Atrophy, the childhood form of Lou Gehrig's, and given weeks to live. Stella's brain was intact and cognitively she was all there, the doctor said, but messages from her spinal column weren't getting to her muscles. In the end, Stella had 18 years. And she got to graduate from high school this spring, a milestone her mother Sarah prayed for her to see. From miracle recoveries that shocked doctors, to a persistent community presence that made her a local celebrity, to an unbreakable positivity in the face of bullies — unlikely may be the word that comes to define Stella Turnbull’s life. Tap the link in our bio for more on this story. #Pella #Iowa #IowaStateFair