Facebook/Laura Avila Laura Avila pictured on her Facebook page.
Laura Avila, a real estate agent from Dallas, is unlikely to wake from a coma after traveling to Mexico for a nose job, her fiance says. Avila was placed under anesthesia at RinoCenter in Ciudad Juarez on October 30, reports ABC Dallas. Her fiance, Enrique Cruz, told the station that Avila is not likely to wake from a medically-induced coma stemming from her anesthesia. The ABC report quotes Avila’s sister, Angie, as saying, “The price of course compared to those in the U.S. was less than a third.” The down payment for the surgery was $138, the total cost is not known at this point.
Avila’s family said that they have been given a choice about whether or not to try and revive Avila through surgery. That surgery would leave her in a vegetative state. The other option is to turn off Avila’s life support machines. Angie Avila told Fox Dallas-Fort Worth, “As of Wednesday morning, they told us that there’s nothing more they can do with her. They say she suffered severe brain damage.”
Here’s what you need to know:
1. It Was Only After the Nose Surgery Clinic Called a Doctor That Avila’s Family Was Told She Had Suffered a Heart Attack
Enrique Cruz told ABC Dallas that the anesthesia was administered by a clinic staffer. Cruz said that as the day wore on, “I was kind of getting upset and worried because they would not let me see her or anything.” Clinic staff told Cruz that Avila’s blood pressure had dropped and that they could not perform the nose surgery. Cruz told Fox Dallas-Fort Worth in a separate interview, “They told me that they had some issues with her blood pressure and they weren’t able to do the procedure, but that they were waiting for her to come out of the anesthesia.”
Later, the clinic called a doctor, according to WFAA, Cruz said, “That’s when they told us, “Oh, by the way, she had a cardiac arrest.””
A friend of Avila’s, Liz Hernandez, told the Dallas Morning News, “They put the anesthesia in her spine, instead of intravenously.” Hernandez also said that Avila cannot be classified as “brain-dead” but that Avila “suffered severe brain damage; the degree of the injury is not known.”
Avila’s family showed text messages to Fox Dallas-Fort Worth that showed how nervous Avila was before the surgery. Those text messages, sent to Dr. Judith Hernandez, show that Avila was nervous about her blood pressure during the surgery.
2. Avila’s Mexican Treatment Records Are Being Held Hostage as Her Bills Have Not Been Paid
Facebook/Laura AvilaAvila pictured with her fiance in November 2016.
The Dallas Morning News reports that Avila was moved from the clinic to a local hospital, where she remained for four days. Her family sought to move Avila to a hospital in the U.S. but were denied as her bill had not been paid at the hospital. Angie Avila told WFAA, “The hospital basically held us hostage because we wouldn’t pay the full amount.” She has also said that the amount owed is around $25,000.
Facebook/Laura Avila
Eventually, Avila’s family were able to move her to a hospital in El Paso, Texas. It was in the U.S. where doctors confirmed that Avila had suffered “severe brain damage so much so that she will never be our Laura again… They told us she would never be able to walk or eat for herself again or speak,” Angie Avila told WFAA. Angie Avila also said that the hospital in Mexico has refused to release her sister’s medical treatment records.
3. Her Family Wants to Move Her to Dallas But Have Been Refused From Local Hospitals Because Avila Does Not Have Insurance
Facebook/Laura Avila
ABC Dallas reports that Avila’s family is trying to get her moved to a hospital in the Dallas-area. Her fiance said, “Right now we are praying for a miracle. Really we want a second opinion.” Her family added that three major hospitals in Dallas have refused Avila because of her lack of insurance. A Dallas attorney, Larry Friedman, is looking into taking legal action on behalf of Avila and her family, reports WFAA. The Morning News report adds that Friedman is also seeking to retrieve Avila’s medical records in Mexico.
4. In Addition to Her Real Estate Career, Avila Is Also a Travel & Food Blogger
Facebook/Laura Avila
Avila writes on her Instagram bio that she is a blogger on Food, Dallas and traveling. Avila adds the quote, “Forever is composted of NOW,” on her profile. According to Avila’s LinkedIn page, she has worked for various realty companies in the Dallas-area since 2016. Avila previously worked in sales and marketing in the pharmaceutical industry. Avila is a graduate of the University of Texas at El Paso. Avila has been a volunteer for breast cancer awareness, the American Cancer Society and Latinitas, the latter being a group that helps Hispanic women find scholarships and mentorships.
Facebook/Laura Avila
Avila’s blog is named Laura Loves Outloud. On her Facebook page, Avila says that she is from Mexico City and now lives in Dallas by way of Houston. Avila puts her political views as “Intelligent.” Avila writes in her About section, “It is a great art to have abundance of knowledge and experience,to know the richness of life,the beauty of existence,the struggles & miseries,the laughter,the tears & yet keep your mind very simple; you can have this only when you know how to love…Nothing is the world is more important than love.”
5. A Go Fund Me Page for Avila Has Raised Over $70,000
Go Fund Me/Laura Avila
According to a Go Fund Me page that has been set up for Avila, over $70,000 of a $150,000 goal. The page was set up by Avila’s sister who writes, “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.” She goes on, “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.” The Go Fund Me money will also help to compensate Avila’s parents and fiance, all of whom are missing work to be with her.
Angie had earlier told Fox Dallas-Fort Worth, “Knowing Laura, she’s so full of lie and love and she’s always been very active. She dances, she sings, she does it all. We know for a fact that if she had to be here on Earth with us, she’d not want to be this way.”
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