On what was an ordinary June day for Diana Wright came unimaginable tragedy. 

"I got out of my vehicle to unload groceries and I was hit," she said.

"The pain, it was excruciating," she added. "I remember hearing my daughters scream and cry."

Wright was the victim of a hit and run. The injury to her left leg was so bad, doctors had to amputate it.

Wright, an avid runner and rock climber, was unsure life would ever be the same.

"I remember just praying for peace," she said. "I wanted peace to be able to deal with what was to come, if I were to remain alive, and peace to just be OK knowing that my girls would be fine."

Step by step, with intense physical therapy and dedication, Wright regained her strength and learned to walk with a prosthetic.

The fifth-grade teacher at P-S 109 in East Flatbush says she wears it proudly.

Wright says over the last three years, the prosthetic has become a teaching tool.

"I think it's important that they understand that just because a person looks different doesn't mean that they're not capable of the things you are," she said. "It just means they have to approach a task differently."

Something not always found in textbooks.

"She's been through a lot, and she can help people who are struggling," said student Jadon Norwood.

"You can have any prosthetic, an arm or a leg, but whatever you do, just keep trying and believe in yourself," said student Jessica Bonsu.

The City Council recently honored Wright for her perserverance with a proclamation. It's an honor that goes beyond the piece of paper. It's recognition for the life lessons she teaches her students. 

"It shows them that with hard work, you can accomplish any goal that you have set before you," Wright said.

So, for spreading messages of positivity and strength to her young students, Diana Wright is our New Yorker of the Week.