A 19-year-old boy who miraculously survived a fire that burned 80 percent of his body has been named an honorary police officer in Texas.
Zaid Garcia of Galveston, Texas, lost both hands, eyes and his right arm when he was 2 years old after a candle fell on his ceiling while he was sleeping.
Doctors said he would never survive the fourth-degree burns – but after countless surgeries and skin grafts, the toddler beats the odds.
And now officials in Texas have made a dream come true since he was 10 by making him a member of their force.
Zaid Garcia of Galveston, Texas, has been named an honorary member of the area police force. He said he had dreamed of this moment since he was ten years old
Zaid Garcia of Galveston, Texas, lost both hands, eyes and his right arm when he was 2 years old after a candle fell on his ceiling while he was sleeping. When he visited the police department pictured, doctors presented him with an honorary police uniform
He was thrilled to have realized a dream he had had for ten years and said the day was one of the best of his life
Mr Garcia said: “I’m so excited, really, I’m at a loss for words.”
“This is one of the best days of my life.”
“I told her, Mom, I think I can do it, you know, and to be honest, I didn’t even believe it myself.”
He added: “Ever since my accident happened, I wanted to protect people. “So my dream was something like being a police officer.”
During a visit to the Houston Police Department academy in north Houston, officers presented him with a junior uniform – causing him to jump up and down with excitement.
Their boss, Troy Finner, also presented him with a certificate officially making him an honorary member.
And the police took him on their test route to learn how to make a traffic stop, pull over a suspect and stop a car.
“Stop, I’m Officer Garcia!” he can be heard shouting with a smile during his test drive in search of another car.
He was also asked to speak to the young cadets about his experiences.
He said, Reports : “I ended up proving the doctors wrong too, you know?”
“They thought I wouldn’t make it, but here I am.”
Sergeant Jeremy Lahar said: “They really make you take a step back and appreciate everything you take for granted in everyday life.”
“Everyone who has had contact with him today and had the pleasure of meeting him has left feeling better than before they met him.”
“Officer Garcia” visited the academy last December for the presentation, but clips have recently resurfaced on social media.
Earlier this month, Officer Garcia also posted a video of himself trying on his police uniform again.
The day was made possible by Los Angeles social media personality Isaiah Garza, who organized the day after learning about Mr. Garcia’s story.
Mr. Garcia suffered his injuries a decade and a half ago, at age two, when a candle set fire to his blankets while he was sleeping in his bed.
After the accident, Mr. Garcia was flown from his home in Mexico to San Antonio, Texas, for treatment for his fourth-degree burns, including countless surgeries, amputations and skin grafts that ultimately saved his life.
The two-year-old lost both hands and five toes and his eyes were so badly burned that doctors covered them with skin to aid healing. He hopes to regain his sight, have the skin over his eyes removed and his eyelids reconstructed.
When Mr. Garcia was released from the hospital, his family settled in Texas, where he currently attends a school for the blind.
In 2019, he hit the headlines for raising money to help with surgeries and possibly restore his eyesight.
A GoFundMe page set up by the nonprofit Special Books for Special Kids set a goal of $60,000 — but supporters rallied behind him and donations quickly grew to more than $365,000.
A spokeswoman for the website said the donations were used to cover his ongoing medical costs.
She said: “The fundraiser was started for Zaid’s ‘functional surgeries and then possible reconstructive procedures’.”
“All funds raised went directly to Zaid’s mother to cover Zaid’s ongoing medical costs.”
The day was made possible by Los Angeles social media personality Isaiah Garza, who organized it after hearing Mr. Garcia’s story
Mr. Garcia is pictured above after being presented with a certificate making him an honorary member of the Houston Police Department
Above he is seen with the troop’s boss, Troy Finner, posing for a photo
The teenager lost both hands and five toes and his eyes were so badly burned that surgeons covered them with skin to allow them to heal
He has been blind since the age of two after a candle caught his blankets on fire while he was sleeping
Most people do not survive third-degree burns, which destroy two of the three layers of skin and affect more than 50 percent of their body, and infants rarely survive burns that destroy more than 15 percent of their skin.
The chances of survival are even lower with fourth-degree burns like Mr. Garcia’s, which affect bones, muscles and tissue.
Doctors say that in cases where people survive, the burns are so severe that the affected limbs must be amputated and multiple surgeries performed. Even then, people are still left with severe scarring and long-term effects.
At the time of the fundraiser, Mr Garcia said: “I share my story to inspire people and show them that miracles exist.”
“When I was two and a half, my mother was putting me to bed and (…) a candle fell and it caught fire.
“I was super injured. I’ve had so many operations now that I can’t even remember. I will probably have more skin grafts done (in the future).
“They amputated both my hands and took off my fingers too. ‘I have both my legs and my feet.’
He added: “The doctors closed my eyes under the skin.” I don’t know why they didn’t just take them out – probably because they thought I would see it in the future.
“So my next hope is to get my sight back.” I’ve been blind since the accident. “If I had this surgery, it would be the first time I would see the world properly (since before the fire).”
Of his childhood, Mr. Garcia said: “To be honest, it was hard growing up.” People are afraid of me because of the way I look, and when I was young I tried to commit suicide.
“My mother told me it wasn’t the right thing to do. I had a hard time fitting in at school and making friends. I work hard every day to improve myself. I just want to be accepted.
“When people meet my parents, my mother prepares them. She explains, “Hey, I have a child with disabilities.”
“She prepares them. Of course they are surprised, but (soon) all they care about is my personality.
“(When people meet me now), I hope they find me interesting – that I’m easy to talk to.” I like going out with friends and giving them time to talk to 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 realize that when they meet me.”
Mr. Garcia has overcome many obstacles throughout his life, but remains hopeful for the future and is now focusing on becoming a translator and motivational speaker.