A Plus: Pollard Middle School's Rebecca Gold

ERIKA: JUST HOURS INTO HER FIRST DAY AT SUMMER CAMP, REBECCA GOLD'S THROAT STARTED CLOSING UP. SAYS SHE FELT CONFUSED, SHE COULDN’T MOVE HER RIGHT SIDE, AND COULDN'T GET THE WORDS OUT TO HER ROOMMATE. I WAS TRYING TO SAY YES I'M OK BECAUSE I THOUGHT I WAS, BUT I COULDN’T TALK, AND THEN THE NEXT SECOND I JUST FELL OFF THE BED AND I VOMITED ALL OVER THE GROUND ERIKA: AT JUST 12-YEARS-OLD, REBECCA WAS HAVING A STROKE. >> I TECHNICALLY HAD THREE STROKES, SO IT WAS MORE MAJOR THAN LIKE ONE MINOR STROKE OR ONE MAJOR STROKE. IT WAS LIKE THREEE MAJOR STROKES SO. >> THE FACT THAT SHE IS SITTING HERE AND EVEN SMILING AS SHE TALKS TO ME SAYS SO MUCH ABOUT REBECCA'S DETERMINATION. ♪ >> BEFORE HER STROKE, SHE WAS AN ACCOMPLISHED PIANO AND VIOLA PLAYER. SHE WAS ALSO AN ATHLETE. HER FAVORITE SPORT, TENNIS, HAVING JUST WON A TOURNAMENT A MONTH BEFORE THAT FATEFUL DAY. BUT SHE'S NOW FOCUSING ON WHAT SHE CAN DO. >> BAKING. YEAH, I LOVE TO BAKE BECAUSE I FEEL LIKE I CAN STILL DO THAT PERFECTLY FINE WITH ONE HAND AND I TRY TO INCORPORATE MY OTHER HAND WITH THINGS LIKE HOLDING THE BOWL. >> REBECCA LOST THE USE OF HER DOMINANT HAND. SHE'S ALSO HAD TO RE-LEARN TO WALK AND WORK ON HER SPEECH AND MEMORY. >> BASIC MATH I USED TO KNOW, LIKE 12 DIVIDED BY THREE, I COULDN’T DO I COULDN’T REMEMBER. ERIKA: BUT IS JUST A YEAR AND A HALF, SHE HAS COME SO FAR, BACK IN SCHOOL FULL-TIME, GETTING STRAIGHT A’S, AND EVEN HELPING OUT OTHER KIDS IN CLASS. >> AT FIRST I WAS STRUGGLING AND I GOT HELP. SO I WANT TO HELP OTHER PEOPLE. >> IT’S NOT LIKE REBECCA IS DOING WELL GIVEN THAT SHE HAD A STROKE, REBECCA IS DOING WELL COMPARED TO EVERY STUDENT WHO HAS NOT HAD A STROKE >> IN SPITE OF, OR PERHAPS EVEN BECAUSE OF WHAT SHE HAS GOLD'S BEEN THROUGH, REBECCA GOLD'S SELFLESS ATTITUDE AND PERSEVERANCE MAKES HER THIS WEEK'S A PLUS. ERIKA: REBECCA CONTINUES TO GO TO SPEECH, PHYSICAL AND OCCUPATION THERAPY EVERY WEEK. HER TEACHERS AND SCHOOL ADMINISTRATORS SAY SHE CONTINUES TO PUSH HERSELF EACH AND EVERY DAY. REBECCA EVEN TELLS ME SHE HOPE SHE CAN GET BACK ON THE TENNIS COURT IN THE NEAR FU