Luisa Carillo still in coma, but showing progress

Luisa Carillo

She has been in an induced coma since Monday so that doctors could address a swollen brain and fluid in her lungs.  But a CT scan conducted this morning on nineteen year old Luisa Carillo yielded promising information for her attending physician and her family.  Carillo, as we have been reporting, is the teen who either jumped or fell out of the D & E Bus as it sped past Hua Yong Supermarket on the Western Highway on Saturday night.  This was while two men, armed with a pistol and a grenade, held up the passengers and crew and stole their money and personal belongings.  But the passengers bravely took control of the situation and kicked one of the bandits through the front door and fought the other at the back of the bus.  One robber was fatally stabbed, but Luisa, who was either cornered in the scuffle and was accidentally pushed through the back door or voluntarily jumped out, suffered fractures to her skull.  The news today, according to her neurosurgeon, Dr. Joel Cervantes, is that she has a slightly better chance of surviving her injury.  It is news that the teen’s family welcomes.  News Five’s Marion Ali reports.

Marion Ali, Reporting

As nineteen year old Luisa Carillo clings to life in a coma on life support at the Belize Health Care Partners Hospital, a CT scan conducted this morning reveals that the fourth form student of Sacred Heart College is likely to survive two severe fractures to her skull.

Dr. Joel Cervantes, Neurosurgeon, Belize Health Care Partners

Dr. Joel Cervantes

“When she came to this institution I had spoken about a fifty percent chance.  I think at this point it’s sixty percent in her favour and forty percent against.  We have noticed that the amount of brain swelling has gone down about twenty percent, but for us twenty percent is a lot.  Also the areas of haemorrhage on her brain have not grown.  On the contrary it is starting to shrink.  So that the body is starting to take care of the blood clots that she has in the brain.  Besides that, her vital signs have maintained stable.  She does have a little bit of fever but we have been addressing that.”

The family has embraced the news and continue to hope for Luisa’s full recovery.  And her brother, Esvin Carillo, told News Five today that it is not the same at home with Luisa missing from the dinner table.

Esvin Carillo, brother of Luisa Carillo

“We are a very united family when we eat, so we come together and we’re there – it’s a whole family.  And it’s obvious that whenever there isn’t one person, you can see the silence, the sadness, something is happening in the family.”

Luisa will be transferred from the Intensive Care Unit to the general ward where she will remain for another few days.  But her stay at the hospital has put a blow on the family and they are now asking for financial assistance.  If you are able to help, you may make monetary contributions at her Belize Bank San Ignacio account.  That number is 10558.  Marion Ali for News Five.

According to Dr. Cervantes, if all goes well through tonight, Luisa should be out of the coma on Friday. Meanwhile, the next few days will be key for Luisa’s recovery.  After the incident she could remember her name and other basic details, but did not have recollection of the attempted robbery or how she ended up on the highway.