"I'm on a lot of medication, mostly for spasms. My legs won't stop moving," she said.
"I can feel my legs in a way but I can't feel pain - it's a really different sensation from the waist down."
Mother Glenis Kissick said Alicia is able to get out and about a lot more now.
"She's self-transferring now - from bed to chair to car - whereas before she was being hoisted."
While Alicia's dreams to travel the world and become a travel guide have been "put on hold", she hasn't cast them away entirely and is determined to one day walk again.
"I am never going to give up hope. There's no way I am going to be in a chair for the rest of my life," said the former Whangarei Girls' High School student.
She spends a lot of time surfing the internet and looking for information and research about spinal cord injuries, and she's now inspired by a Wellington man who recently stood up and started using a treadmill.
"People have said to me if there's anyone who can do it, I can." Alicia is frank about how the sudden change has affected her.
"I hate it. I'd love to go for a bush walk. I'd love to go places where wheels can't go, like the beach."
The hardest part for her is her loss of independence.
"But I've still got hope that I'll walk again."
One major hurdle for the Kissick family has been ACC declining all funding since Alicia's arrival back to New Zealand, because she wasn't resident in New Zealand when the injury occurred. Their case is currently under review with a decision due this month.
Her mother Glenis' colleagues at Kensington Hospital have rallied together to fundraise for the family, including holding a market day in April and a fashion show this month.
Polwarth Designs has offered to hold the fundraising fashion show. Co-owner Cheryl Polwart said Alicia's story really struck a chord. "We've got children. And we're here in Whangarei and if we can help ... it's all about community."
The fashion fundraiser is on Saturday, June 15, at Whangarei Golf Course from 6.30pm. Tickets are $30 and there will be auctions, for which Ms Anderson is currently seeking prizes for.
For information or to donate prizes for the auction, contact Betty Anderson on 021557412.