A young woman severely injured after getting struck by lightning finally left the hospital after over a year of recovery.
Thalita Teixeira Padilla was hit by lightning while walking her dog on a Boston beach and thrown into the air on September 9, 2023. Thankfully, she received assistance from a nearby nurse. According to ABC 10, he was discharged from Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital on Thursday, September 19.
Once a nurse herself, Padilla was initially admitted to Boston Medical Center in critical condition, having endured burns, nerve damage, and spinal cord injury. A hospital official previously informed ABC 10 that she spent several weeks on the “edge of life.”
Padilla’s mother, Marcia Teixeira, recalled the harrowing day her daughter was critically injured.
“I was crying so much because I don’t want to lose my daughter, but she is strong,” she told the Boston outlet.
In October 2023, Padilla was transferred to Spaulding, where she continued her recovery and gradually began to relearn how to walk.
Padilla’s Physical Therapist Marvels at Her Recovery Following Getting Struck by Lightning
Norah Sweeney, a physical therapist at Spaulding, applauded her patient’s determination.
“It was amazing to watch, she was incredible to work with,” Sweeney told ABC 10. “[She] works really hard.”
Sweeney marveled at Padilla’s progress.
“She was not able to walk independently when she came from in-patient. Now she is out walking, going places by herself,” Sweeney noted.
Padilla’s recovery took a significant turn about two months ago when she suddenly noticed a marked decrease in pain throughout her body.
“Something went off like a lightbulb in my head,” she recalled.
After experiencing reduced pain and gaining mobility with the assistance of a walker, Padilla was discharged on Thursday. She expressed her hope to return to work as soon as possible.
“I am starting to think about the future for the first time in this whole year. It seems very new still,” Padilla revealed.
“It feels like I was born again, it feels like starting a whole new life,” Padilla added. She also told the outlet she plans to move to Connecticut once fully recovered.
However, Padilla’s dog, Bruce, wasn’t so brave. He went missing after the lightning strike last fall but was later located and returned to her family.