Would you believe it if I told you that someone was shot with a real grenade and it didn't explode when it hit them?
Karla Flores was a 32-year-old Mexican seafood vendor and mother of three from Culiacán, Sinaloa, Mexico. In August 2011, while selling seafood on the street one day, Karla heard a loud bang and was suddenly struck in the face by an object that knocked her down.
She felt a burning sensation, touched her face, and saw blood before losing consciousness. A passing motorist rushed her to Culiacán General Hospital. When she woke up, she told doctors she thought a stone or rock had hit her
Doctors examined her and initially couldn't identify the large, dark, round object embedded between her upper and lower jawbones, partially obstructing her trachea. An X-ray and CT scan revealed the shocking truth: it was a live, unexploded 40-mm grenade (likely fired from a grenade launcher) that had failed to detonate on impact but was now lodged in her face! That's the image in the second slide.
The hospital was immediately placed on high alert. The device could explode at any moment, killing anyone within 10 meters. The facility was partially evacuated, and Karla was isolated while they figured out what to do.
Most medical staff were understandably reluctant to operate due to the extreme risk. The head of the hospital eventually called for volunteers. Four brave team members stepped up: two anesthesiologists (Felipe Ortiz and Cristina Soto), a doctor (Lidia Soto), and a nurse (Rodrigo Arredondo). Two explosives experts from the Mexican Army were also brought in to guide the procedure safely. To minimize potential casualties if the grenade detonated, the team moved Karla to an open field away from the hospital. There, using only local anesthesia (no general anesthesia to avoid extra risks), they performed a tracheotomy so she could breathe and carefully extracted the live grenade. The surgery lasted about four hours and the grenade was safely removed and later disposed of by the military.
Karla survived the ordeal but required extensive follow-up care. She lost about half her teeth, underwent multiple reconstructive surgeries over the following years, and was left with a large scar on her right cheek and some facial deformity. The first picture is her face after all the surgeries.
Bought houses both Home and abroad, and yes cash down abroad as well
Built a house for my parents
Bought Cars for my parents
Sent 2 of my Siblings to Private University from start till graduation
Series of cars for myself , all cash down
Sponsored my Hajj and umrahs repeatedly myself
Sponsored my Mums Hajj single handedly
Survived brutal divorce and bounce back significantly without a significant dent on my finances and not collecting a dime from the Man as alimony or Children support for years.
Sponsoring 2 international Holidays for my kids and I yearly
Supporting my 3 children through school
Went back to study for my Masters.
Building a business in Healthcare and by God's grace so many more
All with assistance of God, Hardwork, resilience and emotional support from few dependable friends
And yes not from any Man but Funds from my Career and serial side hustle whilst maintaining my dignity and integrity. A grateful being and a testament to God's unending goodness plus self belief, hardwork and self assurance.