WAKING up in hospital wrapped head to toe in bandages and only able to move her head, Marisah Izquierdo had no recollection of how she'd come to be there.
She'd suffered catastrophic injuries yet Marisah, 26, was lucky to be alive after having a seizure at the wheel of her car weeks earlier, sending it crashing into a tree before it burst into flames.
She was saved by firefighters but Marisah suffered third-degree burns to 40% of her body, lost her left hand, her right leg, and the little finger on her right hand.
It was her boyfriend and brother who had to break the devastating news about the accident and the extent of her injuries.
A year on from her miracle survival, mum of one Marisah is now navigating life as a triple amputee and sharing her story to provide hope to other burn survivors.
The former waitress says: “I should have died that day.
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“A year ago, I didn’t think I would ever get better. But slowly, I am healing.”
In 2022, fit and healthy Marisah had her first seizure completely out of the blue and was found collapsed on her living room floor by her brother.
She recalls: “We’d been watching the film Guardians of the Galaxy and my brother had dozed off when the sound of a thud woke him up.
“He found me on the floor, face down and shaking.”
When Marisah came to, she had no idea what had happened but her brother drove her to a nearby hospital to be checked over.
She underwent CT and MRI scans on her brain, but the results came back clear.
Marisah, who lives in Florida, says: “Doctors didn’t seem concerned and discharged me that day.
“I hadn’t had a seizure before, so I forgot all about it and carried on with life as normal.”
The following year, in October 2023, Marisah arranged to visit a friend one evening, dropping her son, Aven, seven, with her grandma, before setting off on the 35-minute drive.
Marisah's has little memory of what happened.
“I stopped for fuel and continued driving, listening to jazz music," she says.
“Then everything went black.”
Marisah woke up a month later in hospital with her brother and boyfriend at her bedside.
She says: “I was wrapped in bandages and could only move my head.
When I saw myself for the first time, I cried
Marisah Izquierdo
"I was completely dazed and on so much pain medication.
“Randomly, the first thing I asked was how my Brazilian butt lift looked.”
Over the next few hours, Marisah drifted in and out of consciousness and when she finally came around, she realised she was in hospital.
“My boyfriend and brother told me that I’d had a seizure and that my car hit a tree and it burst into flames. I was literally just around the corner from my friend's house.
“They said firefighters saved me from my burning car. I felt numb.”
What should you do if you suffer a burn?
Appropriate first aid must be used to treat any burns or scalds as soon as possible. This will limit the amount of damage to your skin.
You can apply the following first aid techniques to yourself or another person who's been burnt:
- Stop the burning process as soon as possible. This may mean removing the person from the area, dousing flames with water, or smothering flames with a blanket. Do not put yourself at risk of getting burnt as well.
- Remove any clothing or jewellery near the burnt area of skin, including babies' nappies. But do not try to remove anything that's stuck to the burnt skin, as this could cause more damage.
- Cool the burn with cool or lukewarm running water for 20 minutes as soon as possible after the injury. Never use ice, iced water, or any creams or greasy substances like butter.
- Keep yourself or the person warm. Use a blanket or layers of clothing, but avoid putting them on the injured area. Keeping warm will prevent hypothermia, where a person's body temperature drops below 35C (95F). This is a risk if you're cooling a large burnt area, particularly in young children and elderly people.
- Cover the burn with cling film. Lay the cling film over the burn, rather than wrapping it around a limb. A clean, clear plastic bag can be used for burns on your hand.
- Treat the pain from a burn with paracetamol or ibuprofen. Always check the manufacturer's instructions when using over-the-counter medication. Children under 16 years of age should not be given aspirin.
- Raise the affected area, if possible. This will help to reduce swelling.
Once you have taken these steps, you'll need to decide whether further medical treatment is necessary.
Go to a hospital accident and emergency (A&E) department for:
- large burns bigger than the size of the affected person's hand
- deep burns of any size that cause white or charred skin
- burns on the face, neck, hands, feet, any joints, or genitals
- all chemical and electrical burns
- any other injuries that need treating
- any signs of shock – symptoms include cold, clammy skin, sweating, rapid, shallow breathing, and weakness or dizziness
You should also go to hospital if you or the person who has been burned:
- is under the age of ten.
- has a medical condition, such as heart, lung or liver disease, or diabetes
- has a weakened immune system (the body's defence system) – for example, because of HIV or AIDS, or because they're having chemotherapy for cancer
Source: NHS
Marisah had lost her left hand below the elbow on impact, while the fire had burnt through one of her little fingers.
Doctors At Memorial Hospital Miramar in Florida told Marisah she also had fifth degree burns to her right leg, which had to be amputated below the knee.
She was then transferred to Ryder Trauma Center in Florida for gruelling surgeries.
She says: “I’d had over nine surgeries whilst in the coma.
“Doctors also had to cut my long, curly brown hair and when I saw myself for the first time, I cried.
“It felt like a nightmare that I desperately wanted to wake up from.”
Over the next month, nurses gave Marisah pain relief and changed her dressings every day.
She says: “The pain was unreal. I felt like I was being stabbed all over.”
Eventually, Aven, who had been staying with Marisah’s grandma while his mum was being treated, was able to visit.
Marisah says: “When he saw me, he was really quiet.
I was constantly angry and found it so difficult coming to terms with my new body
Marisah Izquierdo
“I reassured him that although I looked different, I’m still his mum.
“He quickly came out of his shell and asked me if I’d be getting a ‘robot’ leg.”
In December, Marisah was transferred to a rehabilitation unit to continue her recovery and there she was taught how to move with one leg by pivoting on her foot.
Marisah remembers: “It was really hard and I got so frustrated.
“I finally managed to do it on the third day.”
In January this year, in hospital but unable to do anything by herself, Marisah relied on her boyfriend to change her dressings and moisturise her wounds three times a day with medicated cream.
Coming to terms with the extent of her injuries began to take its toll on the mum.
“I was constantly angry and found it so difficult coming to terms with my new body," say Marisah.
“For a while, I was in denial, thinking it was all a dream.
“If it wasn’t for Aven, I think I would have given up.”
Marisah used a wheelchair until June, when she was fitted with a prosthetic leg and had physiotherapy twice a week to help her walk.
Earlier this month she had an operation to straighten her fingers which she hopes will mean she can do more for herself.
Marisah hasn’t had a seizure since her accident and a scan following the accident confirmed her brain was functioning normally CHECK.
Now, she's trying to look towards the future with her son.
Marisah says: “I’m trying to accept what happened and move on.
“I’m not the woman I used to be, and I’m so self-conscious about the way I look.
“But I’m taking it day by day and embracing the little moments in life."
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Marisah adds: “I want others to know that time is a healer and things will get better.”
To support Marisah’s recovery, please visit her GoFundMe page
