She grew up surrounded by animals at her home of Casa Azul, on the outskirts of Mexico City. They provided companionship and solace, when she was bedridden with childhood polio (which left her permanently disabled), and at 18, when she experienced a devastating bus crash (which shattered her spine, and left her in long-term pain). In adulthood, she kept many beloved pets, including spider monkeys, birds, Mexican hairless dogs and a fawn, and Rivera built a pyramid structure to house her menagerie.
