Quadriplegic artist turns life around after horrific tragedy

PASADENA, Calif. (KABC) -- A quadriplegic artist and victim of gun violence has turned her tragedy into a positive by using her teeth to create vivid paintings.

The seconds it takes Mariam Pare to glide her brush on a canvas is the same amount of time a terrifying incident took to change her life.

"I was a victim of gun violence and my life changed," she said. "I sustained a spinal cord injury and became a quadriplegic."

Pare was a 20-year-old art student when she was randomly shot at while driving her car.

During her time in therapy, she came across an idea that changed her life yet again.

Mayde Gomez introduces us to the woman who not only creates art, she also inspires others on her special journey. Watch the full story in the video above.