'At least I'm alive': 9-year-old shares her recovery from near-death cougar attack

SPOKANE, Wash. -- In Washington, a girl who was attacked by a cougar while she was playing with her friends is sharing her story of survival and how she's moving forward from the terrifying ordeal.

Lily Kryzhanivskyy spent a week here at Sacred Heart after the attack. Now, you would never know she was on the brink of death.

She's full of life and living hers to the fullest.

The 9-year-old girl loves doing cartwheels and playing at the park. She can do those things now, but not too long ago, she was stuck in a hospital.

A cougar almost killed her but she fought back.

"I started just fighting and kicking and punching, and then the cougar came right behind me -- to my head and he started chewing it, and I was really scared," Kryzhanivskyy said. "I had to keep on fighting and I started praying so that way God might be able to save my life."

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She believes God did save her life and is now helping her heal, KXLY reported.

Her mom captured a video before the young girl had all her stitches removed.

She still sees doctors and not everything's been easy about her recovery, but now she's looking for the positives.

"I couldn't look at myself in the mirror because I was too scared to see how many scars I got and all of the short hair, but then I noticed it was actually me. I didn't change. I'm the same old me," Kryzhanivskyy said.

She's a 9 year old who's braver than many, with a story of survival she isn't afraid to tell.

"I'm at least happy that the cougar cannot do any more trouble, but I'm happy that at least I'm alive and get to do everything and be with you," she said.

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We can all learn a lot from her. She's wise beyond her years and isn't letting this attack, or really anything, hold her back.

"Whoever is going through something hard, they have to stay confident," she said.

That confidence radiates through her.

She was left to die but now she's living with no fear in sight.

"You can just overcome and you can face your biggest fear," Kryzhanivskyy said as she gets ready for her 10th birthday.

She said she wasn't quite sure she'd make it after the attack, so this is definitely a big birthday worth celebrating.