BOSTON — A travel nurse who was struck by lightning in Dorchester one year ago is determined to walk again.
Thalita Teixeira was walking her dog Bruce along Savin Hill Beach on September 9, 2023, when the unthinkable happened.
She said the last thing she remembers is a light drizzle before she lost consciousness and went into cardiac arrest.
A bolt of lightning traveled through her chest and exited through her right foot, burning the inside of her spine.
Teixeira was intubated in the hospital for nearly a month, and doctors told her family it was unlikely she’d pull through.
“It feels like I died and am getting a whole new restart,” Teixeira told Boston 25 News. “Life is worth living.”
Teixeira said her recovery has been agonizing and has included feelings of not wanting to live.
She described going from numbness to excruciating pain as nerves throughout her body began to refire.
“I know what it feels like to want to die. Getting out of that where I am today, I’m so happy that I’m alive,” she said. “I’m so happy that god gave me a second chance.”
Teixeira had to relearn simple tasks like tying her hair, lifting her arms, and texting.
She’s also had to learn how to speak again.
The 32-year-old remains in a wheelchair but is now able to walk for short periods using a walker.
“I didn’t want to go home in a wheelchair. I thought I would be up and walking in a few weeks,” she said. “I just want to walk. That’s the only thing I want.”
[ Nurse struck by lightning on Dorchester beach returns home after months of rehab ]
Teixeira’s mother told Boston 25 News that her daughter has already proven she’s capable of beating the odds.
“For me, it’s a gift to have her back,” said Marcia Teixeira. “It’s a reason to celebrate. We’re not sad anymore. We don’t cry anymore.”
Marcia Teixeira rushed to Boston from out-of-state immediately after learning that her daughter was struck by lightning.
She moved to Boston for nine months to be by her daughter’s side for every step of the recovery.
“She didn’t give up because she had us. We didn’t give up because we want her back,” she said.
Teixeira said she couldn’t have done it without the unwavering support of her husband and family.
She also expressed gratitude to the off-duty nurse who performed CPR on her in the moments after the incident.
“For you to take an already dead person in your hands, transfer them to a deck and do CPR for 15 minutes, I just find it all very incredible,” she added.
She’s also eternally grateful to the stranger who rescued her dog Bruce after finding him hiding behind a rock.
The lightning strike happened in what was supposed to be Teixeira’s final weeks in Boston of a three-month contract as a travel nurse at Beth Israel Hospital.
She stayed in Boston for her recovery and is now moving back home to Connecticut on Friday because of the progress she’s made.
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