Left partially paralyzed from being stabbed several times by her brother-in-law, Erika “Bird” Martinez surpassed doctors’ expectations by taking her first steps since the incident this week, only two days before her perpetrator’s arraignment on Wednesday.
Martinez and her husband were stabbed repeatedly by her brother-in-law in an altercation in November 2020, but her road to recovery suggests that partial paralysis may not be a permanent obstacle.
“When man says you can’t, God has other plans,” Katy Porta, a Martinez Family GoFundMe organizer, said in an update posted on Monday. “Please share this link on your social media. Help any way you can. Thank you for the continued support. Every cent is being utilized for treatment.”
Martinez was diagnosed with quadriplegia as a result of several stab wounds to the neck and back, leaving her paralyzed, according to the Martinez Family GoFundMe.
Since the attack in November, the mother of three and host of the YouTube cooking channel “Cooking with Bird Martinez” has already seen several breakthroughs doctors did not see as possible given the severity of her condition, including no longer needing a catheter or feeding tube.
“Erika has gained some control of her left arm and is using it to feed herself,” reads a Martinez Family GoFundMe update posted on Feb. 26. “This is something quadriplegics can’t typically do.”
See Related: Newhall Stabbing Suspect Charged With Attempted Murder
27-year-old Guadalupe Albarran was charged with attempted murder of Martinez and her husband in November, alongside other felony charges including assault with a deadly weapon and violation of a restraining order.
On Sunday, Nov. 22, 2020 at around 1:40 a.m., deputies responded to reports of an assault with a deadly weapon involving a knife on the 24100 block of Arch Street in Newhall, according to Deputy Natalie Arriaga, spokesperson for the Santa Clarita Valley Sheriff’s Station.
“During (the) investigation, deputies learned the suspect (Albarran) stabbed his brother’s wife with a kitchen knife multiple times in the upper torso,” Arriaga said. “The suspect (Albarran) then approached his brother and stabbed him with the same kitchen knife multiple times in the upper torso.”
A brief physical altercation followed, causing the knife to be dropped before another family member separated the assailant from the victims. Albarran was then escorted to the front of the home until deputies arrived, according to officials.
Albarran was arrested on felony charges of attempted murder, assault with a deadly weapon, and violation of a restraining order.
He returned to court Wednesday for an arraignment, which was extended to May 6, 2021, according to Ricardo Santiago, spokesperson for the Los Angeles District Attorney’s Office.
For more updates on Erika’s recovery or to donate to the Martinez family, click here.
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