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This brave mom defied the doctors’ odds and survived a gas explosion that put her in a four-month-long coma as a child.
Nahobi Perez (25), from Boston in the US, was only five years old when she almost died from a massive gas explosion in her house.
Back in September 1997, the student’s family decided to fix a motorbike in their living room as a treacherous snow storm was underway outside.
But when the petrol from the motorcycle mixed with a gas leak and cigarette smoke in the kitchen, it caused a massive explosion, and their home went up in flames.
“I don’t know the details of how the explosion happened,” says Nahobi. “I don’t like bothering my mother by bringing up such a horrible day in our lives.
At the time, Nahobi’s mother – who was pregnant – quickly jumped out of the window with her one-year-old daughter in her arms. But a panic-stricken Nahobi and her younger brother were still stuck in the burning house.
After realising her children were still inside, Nahobi’s desperate mom broke down the door to save them – despite suffering from a broken ankle.
The then five-year-old, who was rushed to the hospital, fell into a coma for four months but miraculously survived the horrific incident.
“My loved ones were devastated when the doctors said I would not make it past seven o’clock that night, so to have us alive makes them extremely happy.”
“I had to have multiple surgeries to give me a more ‘normal’ look and to make life a bit easier for me, I guess,” she says.
It’s been 20 years since the horrific incident and the brunette beauty has two daughters of her own, Anaya and Avery. The mom-of-two has had over 20 operations, mostly of skin grafts, and has spent weeks on end in the hospital.
“I used to sleep with my eyes open, so I had surgery for that and my fingers are frozen in the position I was hugging my brother.
“Shriners Children’s Hospital for Burns was really my second home. I was there so often that I knew most of the nurses,” she says.
Despite having numerous skin grafts on her eyes, nose, and mouth, Nahobi still receives stares from people on the street.
“It’s part of my life, so I don’t hate it. I no longer feel the stares, I would say and if I meet eyes with someone who is staring at me, I just smile and introduce myself; I’ve made a lot of friends this way,” she says.
Nahobi credits her mom for her strength. “My mum also gave me so much love and my family in general, so I didn’t feel different,” she says.
“My mother is the reason I am who I am, and I thank her so much for it.”
Sources: Magazine Features
