Updated June 28th, 2022 at 19:57 IST

Man joins med school 3 years after being severely burnt; netizens laud his spirit

"The flames were all over the apartment and the building...in the end I almost lost my life," the American student was quoted by US media as saying.

Reported by: Purnima Mishra
Image: @alexisjoelpr/Twitter | Image:self
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Life throws challenges and these challenges teach a person to live life to the fullest. There are moments when it's hard to get up and fight back again but a strong desire can change any circumstance. As of now, the inspiring story of an American student, who went through a hard phase in his life and took to Twitter to share his life-threatening experience, is doing rounds on the internet.

The post shared by Alexis Hernandez on Twitter, shows him wearing a uniform. Sharing the photograph he explains that it took three years for him to get normal after being severely burnt.

Sharing the photo, he wrote, "First day of MED SCHOOL after burning 71% of my body 3 years ago. 28 surgeries and more to come, 20 days in a coma, 2 months in ICU, more than 7 months in the hospital, and 3 years of therapies.Happy to finally be here (sic)". 

Hernandez's story of recovering from life-threatening injuries 

In January 2019, Hernandez arrived in Guadalajara, Mexico in the US to begin studying to be a doctor. He was 23 at the time. It was two days when he arrived, that he went to turn on a boiler to get hot water for his shower, CBS news reported. That was when an explosion happened severely injuring him. Explaining his near-death experience, Hernandez told CBS, "The flames were all over the apartment and the building. And I had to run through the flames in the apartment looking for a way out. In the end, I almost lost my life".  

"I've been working hard all my life to make this real," he added and informed that it was his dream to study medicine.

Moreover, his physical therapy assistant Kelly Brown told the media outlet that even with medication, he was likely in great pain. One of the only places not burnt were the soles of his feet, she added. Hernandez's recovery consisted of 19 surgeries and hundreds of hours of physical therapy. When Hernandez was asked what keeps him determined and driving forward, he said he felt like he received a "second chance" at life, as per the CBS news report. 

The story of sheer willpower and determination gained traction on the internet and soon went viral. The post has garnered around 5K reactions accompanied by several retweets and comments. The post prompted many to express their views.

"Congratulations on your first day! (sic)", a user wrote. A second user commented, "You look good my man, makes us proud (sic)". A third user expressed, "I’m so happy and proud of you! Your journey is so inspiring and I can’t wait to see you become an amazing doctor (sic)."

(Image: @alexisjoelpr/Twitter)

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Published June 28th, 2022 at 19:57 IST