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A woman went to Mexico for a cheap nose job. Now she's in a coma and might never wake up.

 
Laura Avila went to Mexico for a nose job that was a third of the price as one in the United States. Now she is in a coma and may never wake up. Photo from Facebook.
Laura Avila went to Mexico for a nose job that was a third of the price as one in the United States. Now she is in a coma and may never wake up. Photo from Facebook.
Published Nov. 13, 2018

A Texas woman decided to get a nose job in Mexico instead of the United States because it was much cheaper -- just $138.

But now she is on life support after the procedure went terribly wrong. Her family has been told that they can either remove her from life support or hold out hope that she will regain minimal functioning skills. They have been told that Laura Avila will likely never be able to walk, speak or feed herself again.

The family has set up a GoFundMe account to help with medical expenses as they ponder what to do next. As of Tuesday afternoon, it had raised about $69,000 of its $150,000 goal.

The terrible ordeal began on Oct. 30, when Avila went to a "Rinocenter" surgery center in Ciudad Juarez with her fiance to get the procedure done, according to KFOX TV.

"The price of course compared to those in U.S. was less than a third," her sister, Angie Avila told WFAA.

The fiance, Enrique Cruz, said something went wrong during the administration of anesthesia. He said she was in a room for eight hours and that "they would not let me see her or anything."

Said her sister: "They injected anesthesia in her spine at the clinic and instead of flowing down her body, it went into her brain which caused severe swelling."

A doctor from a Juarez hospital was summoned to the clinic, at which point Cruz learned she also had gone into cardiac arrest. She finally was moved to the hospital.

Her family spent days trying to get her moved to a hospital in Texas, but Mexican officials wouldn't sign the necessary paperwork until the family paid a medical bill. Meanwhile, she was suffering seizures at the hospital.

"The hospital basically held us hostage because we wouldn't pay the full amount," her sister said.

Laura Avila was finally moved to a hospital in El Paso, though her medical records did not come with her.

U.S. doctors determined Laura Avila had suffered severe brain damage and that "she will never be our Laura again," her sister said.

They have two choices: Keep her alive with breathing and feeding tubes or take her off life support.

Before making a choice, the family would like to have her taken to a Dallas hospital, where they can get another opinion.

"Right now we are praying for a miracle. Really we want a second opinion," said Cruz.

WFAA reports that the family told them several Dallas hospitals have declined to take in Laura Avila because she lacks insurance.

Lawyers are working on behalf of Laura Avila and her family to try to get the missing medical records and to get her into a Dallas hospital.

Laura Avila's Facebook page says she is a Realtor, blogger, entrepreneur and artist.

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Here is the full letter on the GoFundMe page, which again can be found here.

Dear Family and Friends,

It is with a heavy heart that I request your prayers and assistance in this great time of need. My sister Laura Avila has endured a tragedy that has been very heavy on our family. I have known my sister to be a giver since I came to this planet. I watched my sister give support and love to my parents who tried giving us a life in Texas. Laura has given me a firm, unconditional love as a sister and a friend to accomplish dreams and travel the world. I watched her give herself so openly to people in her friendship, counseling, laughter, wit, business genius and work ethic.

On October 30th, Laura was obtaining a medical procedure at a clinic in Ciudad. Juarez, Mexico. Without knowledge to her fiancé, Laura suffered a cardiac arrest for four minutes. She was then placed into a medically induced coma to prevent further damage to her brain that was caused by the complications she experienced during anesthesia. Physicians recently began to slowly remove medications to take her out of the coma. However due to brain lesions, it is too soon to know the state she will be in from the damage she has sustained until she awakens. Laura is still in critical condition. She is currently experiencing seizures as an indication of brain injury. She had been in an Intensive Care Unit in Mexico for six days before we were allowed to get her back to the U.S. In the event that she wakes up, it is likely she will need to begin physical therapy and rehabilitation for an unforeseen period of time.

We have hired attorneys in Juarez, Mexico, who are assisting us in our quest for her medical records so she can be better assisted. We fear her records will be altered, so aside from worrying about her well -being, we are simultaneously trying to move quickly on the legal end.

Any assistance you provide will go to her medical bills, which have quickly accrued in the last six days. Approximately $25,000 was incurred in Juarez plus transferring costs which are yet to be determined. In El Paso, the costs began accumulating from the minute EMS picked her up at the border. She does not have medical insurance, so everything will come out of pocket. Any remaining funds will go to our parents who have missed work to be with Laura; her fiancé Cruz who is also missing days at work and buying plane tickets to fly back and forth between El Paso and Dallas, TX, where he resides; and myself, a current law student at SMU, for flight expenses from traveling between Dallas and El Paso to go to school and also be with Laura and ensure her legal case proceeds in Mexico.

For those who cannot financially assist us, I implore you to please pray for her speedy recovery. If you know or have met Laura, you know she gives us all life. Laura exudes love, life, laughter, joy, selflessness, enlightenment, passion, friendship, loyalty, forgiveness, wisdom, and so much more. There is truly nothing that woman cannot execute with perfection--she's the best cook I know, she's a fantastic dancer, a powerhouse singer, and she gives everyone a reason to smile. She is my Heartbeat. Without Laura, I would not be where I am today. She is my sister, a second mom to me, my best friend, and my #1 fan. She has always taken care of me, supported me, encouraged me, and believed in me--something she does for all the people she loves. Cruz has been everything she fell in love with him for, and more so during this completely surreal ordeal. I have leaned on him in a way I know she would smile so big watching. In return, all I ask is that you keep her in your prayers and assist us in any way you can. Our strong girl needs us.

With Love and Gratitude,

Angie, Cruz, Monica A., and Francisco A.