19-year-old Zaid Gracia’s wish to become a police officer came true when he was made an honorary police officer of the Houston Police Department last December.

Zaid Garcia is a burn survivor. As a toddler, he was involved in a fire accident in which 80% of his body was burned when a candle fell and their house caught on fire. The accident blinded him permanently and he also lost both of his hands.

As a little boy, he had to endure many surgeries and faced great challenges over the years as he grew older. But the fighting spirit in him never dimmed or died, even once.

“It’s been a hard path, but I healed, I want to inspire people,” he said.

Garcia had dreamt of becoming a police officer since he was 10 years old but had never really believed that he would become one. However, it would take 9 more years for his wish to be fulfilled.

His dream finally comes true

When social media influencer, Isaiah Garza came across Garcia’s story, he was inspired and wanted to help him fulfill his dream. So he tracked him down.

Garza says, “His mental willpower is beautiful and it doesn’t stop him from wanting to be who he wants to be, everything he’s been through, he still stands tall, and he just is such a brave human being and so much courage.”

Garza, was able to get in touch with the Houston Police Department to help Garcia’s dream be fulfilled.

Garcia spent a day at the academy of HPD doing everything an officer would; learning to make a traffic stop, clearing a room and taking down a suspect, meeting a K9 officer, and at the shooting range.

Later, he also got the opportunity to address the cadets at the academy. Sharing his life’s story, he told them, “I ended up proving the doctors wrong, too, you know. They thought I could not make it, but here I am”.

Trainee officers and staff were left speechless, visibly emotional, and in awe by the courage and brave spirit of the teenager as he shared his story.

“You make our jobs worthwhile and rewarding and I’ll remember your testimony about wanting to be part of law enforcement for the rest of my life,” said a prosecutor who was teaching the class of cadets to Garcia.

“Everybody who’s come in contact and had the pleasure of meeting him today has left better than before they met him,” said one sergeant.

Garcia was also given a junior police officer uniform and a certificate by Chief Troy Finner, who stated that it was a great honor to bestow on Garcia an honorary officer of HPD.

Garcia wants to help people and has a bigger dream of becoming a motivational speaker someday. His journey has only begun and he hopes to inspire more people in the future.

“In some way, you can achieve your dream,” he said. “I may be different, but it doesn’t mean that it stops me.”

Garcia’s story is a great example of a resilient spirit. It teaches us an important lesson of not taking life for granted, complaining less, and being thankful for what we have. And to never ever give up in life. source

How is Zaid Garcia Now ?

The video below is from his very own YouTube Channel called Zaid the burned survivor @zaidtheburnedsurvivor776

Subscribe to him below

https://www.youtube.com/@zaidtheburnedsurvivor776

‘You make our jobs worthwhile’: Burn survivor inspires LEOs while serving as an officer for a day

The teen, who suffered burns to 80% of his body during a fire, got to experience being an officer while inspiring Houston PD members along the way.

GALVESTON COUNTY, Texas — For 19-year-old Zaid Garcia, becoming a police officer has been a lifelong dream since he was 10 years old, but he always felt his dream might be out of reach.

“I told her, ‘Mom, I think I can do it,’” Garcia told KPRC News. “To be honest, I didn’t even believe it myself.”

His doubts stemmed from a life-changing accident when he was a young child living in Mexico.

Garcia suffered severe burns to more than 80% of his body, blinding him, and causing him to lose both hands, according to KPRC News. The serious injuries put him in a coma and resulted in many surgeries over the years.

“No one knows how but a candle fell, and when the candle fell, the house caught on fire,” he told KPRC.

When Los Angeles social media influencer Isaiah Garza heard about Garcia’s story and aspirations of becoming an officer, he tracked him down to make his dream become a reality.

“His mental willpower is beautiful and it doesn’t stop him from wanting to be who he wants to be,” Garcia told the news platform. “Everything he’s been through, he still stands tall, and he just is such a brave human being and so much courage.”

Garza contacted the Houston Police Department, and the teen spent a day at HPD’s Academy in North Houston doing everything an officer would: learning to make a traffic stop on the driver’s track, helping clear a room and take down a suspect, meeting a K-9 officer, and visiting the shooting range.

Garcia spoke to a group of cadets at the academy that day, telling them, “I ended up proving the doctors wrong, too, you know. They thought I could not make it, but here I am.”

A prosecutor who was teaching the class of cadets was touched by the teen’s story of perseverance and strength.

“You make our jobs worthwhile and rewarding and I’ll remember your testimony about wanting to be part of law enforcement for the rest of my life,” the prosecutor told Garcia during the class.

After receiving a junior police officer uniform and being presented with a certificate by Chief Troy Finner, Garcia proclaimed this day one of the best in his life.

“In some way, you can achieve your dream,” he said. “I may be different, but it doesn’t mean that it stops me.” source

Boy, 16, who survived 80% burns but was blinded raises £300,000 in huge fundraising drive to get his sight back

• WARNING: THIS ARTICLE CONTAINS CONTENT SOME MAY FIND DISTRESSING 
• Zaid Garcia, from Galveston, Texas, has been blind since accident at age of two
• Teenager lost both of his hands and five toes, and his eyes were severely singed
• Doctors covered eyes with layer of skin to let them heal and protect from light 
• But now Zaid wants to go through with surgeries to let him see his family again 
• To donate towards Zaid’s surgery, visit his GoFundMe page by clicking here

A schoolboy who miraculously survived 80 per cent burns is raising money so he can see his family and friends for the first time since an horrific accident as a toddler.

A schoolboy who miraculously survived 80 per cent burns is raising money so he can see his family and friends for the first time since an horrific accident as a toddler.

The teenager lost both of his hands and five toes, and his eyes were so severely burned that surgeons covered them with skin to let them heal.

Zaid is hoping to get his sight back through surgery to have the layer of skin removed and his eye lids reconstructed.

He says the first thing he wants to see is his best friend Julia’s ‘beauty’ and his family.

A GoFundMe page was set up by non-profit organisation Special Books for Special Kidswith the initial goal of raising £50,000. 

But supporters turned out in droves and have so far raised £300,000 for the teenager.

Zaid Garcia, from Galveston, Texas, has been blind since the age of two after a candle caught fire to his blankets as he slept and burned him alive

Zaid said: ‘I’m sharing my story to inspire people and show them that miracles do exist.

‘When I was two-and-a-half my mum took me to bed and […] a candle fell and it caught on fire.

‘I was super injured. I’ve had so many operations now that I can’t even remember. I’ll probably have more skin grafts [in the future].

‘They amputated both my hands and they took the fingers too. I have both my legs and feet.’

He added: ‘I have five toes on the left and on the right, I have one toe. I don’t walk normally. I don’t step flat.

‘The doctors shut my eyes under the skin. I don’t know why they didn’t just take them out – probably because they thought I would see in the future.

‘So my next hope is to get my vision back. I’ve been blind since the accident. If I was to have this surgery it would be the first time I’d see the world properly [since before the fire].

‘To be able to see my family again after 14 years will be good. I think it’ll be cool. The first thing I want to see would be one of my friends. My best friend from school, Julia. I’d like to see her beauty, I guess.’

The teenager lost both of his hands and five toes, and his eyes were so severely burned that surgeons covered them with skin to let them heal

After the incident, Zaid was flown from his former home in Mexico to a hospital in San Antonio, Texas, where he received the treatment for fourth degree burns, which ultimately saved his life.

When Zaid was released from hospital, his family settled in the US state, where he currently attends a school for the blind.

Zaid said: ‘It was hard growing up to be honest. People are scared of me because of the way I look and when I was young, I tried to commit suicide.

‘My mum told me that was not the right thing. I was finding it hard to fit in at school and make friends. I work hard to improve each day. I just want to be accepted.

‘When people meet my parents, my mum prepares them. She explains, “Hey, I have a child with disabilities.”

  

‘She prepares them. Of course, they get surprised, but [soon] they only care about my personality.

‘[When people meet me now], I hope that they think I’m interesting – that I’m easy to talk to. I like going out with friends and giving them time to talk with me if they need something.

‘I like to sing and sometimes I write songs or poems. I love art and playing around with pencils. I have other interests, and I hope people see that when they meet me.’

Zaid has overcome many obstacles throughout his life but remains hopeful for the future, when he plans to become a translator and motivational speaker.

He added: ‘I hope people will realise that you shouldn’t give up just because they tell you you’re not going to make it. I want to encourage people.

‘The doctors said I was going to die. There was no hope for me. They predicted that I would not be able to talk, but I’m a miracle because of that. I can say thank you in nine languages.

‘The most important thing for me is learning languages – Finish, Swedish, Danish, Chinese. In the future I want to be an interpreter and maybe a motivational speaker.

‘Spanish is my first language and I learnt English at school when I was just nine-years-old. I’m a sophomore this year. I’m working hard on my exams and I will probably go to college.

‘My parents say to me ‘be good’ when I go to school. They are very supportive and encourage me to carry on as if nothing happened.’

To donate towards Zaid’s surgery, visit his GoFundMe page by clicking here.\

 

WHAT ARE FOURTH DEGREE BURNS?

It is often thought that third-degree burns are the worst.

However, the degrees of burns can actually go higher.

Though not commonly mentioned, burn classification includes fourth-degree burns.

This is the deepest and most severe of burns and are potentially life-threatening.

These burns destroy all layers of your skin, as well as your bones, muscles, and tendons.

There is no feeling in the area since the nerve endings are destroyed.

This is because the nerves are responsible for sending pain signals to your brain. source

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The Inspiring Journey Of Zaid Garcia: Before And After Burn

All you need to know about the Transformation of Zaid Garcia, before and after the Burn.

Zaid Garcia, a 20-year-old from Texas, was a typical young man, joyful, carefree, and full of hope. His life, however, took a tragic turn in 2019 when he received third-degree burns in a fire mishap. He was struggling for his life after the accident, which left him with burns attempting to cover 80% of his body. Yet Zaid’s story is about more than simply his survival; it’s also about his miraculous metamorphosis following the disaster. In this post, we will look at Zaid Garcia’s before and after, from the person he used to be prior to the burn to the person he has become since.

Zaid Garcia

Mental Transformation:

Zaid’s mental makeover following the burn is equally astounding. The accident has already left him with physical scars, but it additionally also impacted him emotionally. He had to accept that he was no longer the same guy he was before the fire. Instead of concentrating on the past, Zaid used his experience to inspire others. He began speaking at gatherings and sharing his experience to inspire people to never give up on their aspirations.

Others’ Reactions:

Zaid’s metamorphosis has had tremendous repercussions on others. His tale has had an impact on the lives of people all across the world, and his story has served as an inspiration to many. His optimistic attitude and perseverance to overcome hardship have inspired many people to follow their aspirations, regardless of the obstacles they may face.