By Liana Jacob
THIS COURAGEOUS mum-of-five was involved in a horrific car fire after she lost control of the vehicle when her drink was spiked during a day out and has since had five surgeries to mend her body including sewing her ankle back on after sixty percent of it was ripped off.
In January this year, stay-at-home mum-of-five and wife, Hannah Zavala (28), took advantage of a day off and went out with a friend to play pool. Things turned hazy when she ordered a drink and left to grab a pool stick, during which time someone had spiked her drink with a date rape drug and since then she had a poor memory of what happened to her.
Hannah since learned that as she drove back home, her car crashed into a concrete barrier, which caused her car to catch fire. Her ankle was being burned, and when she tried to get out of the car by grabbing onto the handle, it melted. She then tried to smash the window in desperation, but it wouldnāt budge. Despite enduring this horrifying ordeal, Hannah does remember the bystanders who witnessed the incident and came to her came to her rescue. She was taken to the hospital.
She has since had five surgeries; sewing her ankle back together, she had an external fixation, which is used to stabilise bone and soft tissues, cadaver (fake) skin was put on her burns, foot surgery to fix her broken bones and a skin graft on her forehead.
āOn January 28, this year, a friend and I went to the pool hall. I never go out because I am always looking after my kids, so this was the first time I was ever kid-free,ā Hannah said.
āI ordered a drink, I remember drinking it all then went to grab the pool stick, and thatās when my memory was gone.
āI realised that someone had put a date rape drug in my drink. So, I have no idea what happened afterwards.
āSeveral people said I was texting and calling them to come pick me up, but I donāt remember anything, the accident happened hours later.
āI got into a car accident, which wouldnāt have been as bad, even though I did fracture my ankle but then it caught fire and I can remember trying to get out.
āI grabbed the handle, but it was completely melted, so I tried to kick the window, but it wouldnāt budge.
āI remember something hot hitting my head – I was screaming; āI need to get to my babies someone help meā.
āAfter what seemed like hours but was probably only minutes or seconds, I screamed out āmama loves youā and I then felt defeated, closed my eyes and I woke up three or four days later in the intensive care unit.
āIt was bystanders that helped me out the vehicle – without the very helpful men whoād seen me, I would have been burnt alive.
āIām still going through the recovery stage; visiting the burn clinic every three weeks. Itās amazing how burns work; one minute they seem closed-up and healing then the next theyāre opened and needing attention again.
āI cried often. I felt ugly, I felt discouraged. I remember how I kept telling everyone that I looked like a monster – too scared for anyone to see me.
āItās been a challenge, Iāve been in car accidents, Iāve had many broken bones, I was even in a wheelchair at seventeen. But the burns? A totally different ball park.ā
Despite her husband being away, Hannah, who is from Michigan, USA, has credited him and her children as her number one supporters through it all. Her husband would call her regularly to make sure she was alright.
āThey remind me constantly. They are the reason I fought to stay alive. Our saying is āweāre all we gotā – without me thereās no them, and vice versa,ā she said.
āIt took my man to constantly remind me that Iām alive and my babies to always remind me āyouāre still beautiful mamaā to keep me going.
āIt made me more aware. It made me realise that life is precious and that my children and husband are all I have.
āIt also showed me how strong I am and that some days I would forget the strength I had. I am a fighter. I am a survivor.
āMy babies cried seeing me every time they saw me, and they never wanted to leave my hospital bed.
āI had to remind my older ones how strong they were and to always remember that their mama will never leave them without a fight.
āMy husband was scared. He couldnāt get a hold of me for a few days after the accident and then he beat himself up for being away and not being home.
āBut he never missed a day. He would call me nine to ten times a day just to listen to me cry and then constantly told me how strong I was.
āI had to chop my hair off due to the burns on my head. I canāt work right now, so Iām a mum-of-five from my couch.
āNever take life for granted. In a blink of an eye, or one wrong turn, you could be gone. Love hard and live each day like itās your last.
āThose scars? The donāt define you instead, they tell a story and remind you each day just how strong you are and how beautiful your scars are.ā
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