Waking Up with a Live Grenade in Your Face

This is an amazing story. Imagine selling some food on a street corner, minding your own business. All of a sudden, you hear an explosion. Stunned, you turn around to see what it was and an object hits you in the face. You get knocked down. Your face is burning. You touch it. You check your hands. Blood.

The next thing you know, you wake up in an ambulance. There is something in the right side of your face. You figure it’s a rock. The doctor examines you. It’s a live grenade fragment that was supposed to explode when it hit you but it did not. You need it removed. But there’s a problem. If people try to remove it and it explodes, everyone within a 32 mile radius will be blown to smithereens.  

This sounds like something from a Hollywood movie or the TV show, 24. But it is exactly what happened to 32-year-old, Karla Flores, from Mexico. Fortunately for her, a brave team of medical professionals saved her. They moved her away from the other patients and medical volunteers were sought to treat her. Four brave people volunteered: three doctors and a nurse. Two explosives experts also consulted.

Only local anesthesia could be used to cut a hole into her trachea (windpipe) to help her breathe during the surgery, as she could barely breathe before the surgery or swallow her own bodily fluids.  The military doctors guided the doctor and the grenade fragment was removed. She is left with a massive facial scar and half of her teeth missing, but at least she is alive. The medical staff should receive some type of award and recognition for incredible bravery.