lot of opportunities, and if you work at it, if you apply yourself, you can actually achieve whatever you want to achieve. >> reporter: she studied bio chemistry at umass, got her medical dreegree in europe and became a u.s. citizen. >> i can dare to believe, dare to dream, dare to disagree and dare to be whatever i want to be. >> reporter: do you still believe that? >> yes. >> reporter: mary is the person we wish we were more like, undeterred even by the biggest obstacles. >> there are challenges we have to face and overcome. it might be losing a limb for me, it might be something else for someone else. >> reporter: and you feel like what happened to you is no different from any other challenge any of the rest of us face on any given day? >> yeah, that's what i feel. >> reporter: positive but not pollyanna-ish. maybe you could call it old-fashioned american optimism.
work at it, if you apply yourself, you can actually achieve whatever you want to achieve. >> reporter: she studied bio chemistry at umass, got her medical dreegree in europe and became a u.s. citizen. >> i can dare to believe, dare to dream, dare to disagree and dare to be whatever i want to be. >> reporter: do you still believe that? >> yes. >> reporter: mary is the person we wish we were more like, undeterred even by the biggest obstacles. >> there are challenges we have to face and overcome. it might be losing a limb for me, it might be something else for someone else. >> reporter: and you feel like what happened to you is no different from any other challenge any of the rest of us face on any given day? >> yeah, that's what i feel. >> reporter: positive but not pollyanna-ish. maybe you could call it old-fashioned american optimism. >> my first step was very
marathon, a favorite day in the city she loves. >> this energy of happiness and togetherness, i wanted to be there. i wanted to be part of that. >> reporter: she would awaken days later in the hospital to learn she had lost her left leg. doctors were doing all they could to save the right one. yet she had no anger, no self-pity. >> i'm very thankful and grateful. but i'm also grateful for life to be able to even see this thanksgiving. i came close to dying, and that is something to celebrate. >> reporter: we wanted to tell mary's story this thanksgiving because mary herself is a kind of modern day pilgrim. she came to america from haiti, a teenager who couldn't speak a word of english. >> in the u.s. you're offered a lot of opportunities, and if you work at it, if you apply yourself, you can actually achieve whatever you want to achieve. >> reporter: she studied biochemistry at umass, got her medical degree in europe and
Detailed text transcripts for TV channel - MSNBC - 20131205:20:03:00 vimarsana.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from vimarsana.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.