SIX NAILS IN THE HEAD BUT HE SURVIVES.Byline: Rachel Uranga Staff Writer Sitting in a wheelchair, his hands folded on his lap, Isidro Mejia talked Wednesday about how he was lucky to be alive after a construction site accident that sent six 3 1/2-inch nails shooting out of a compressed air compressed air, air whose volume has been decreased by the application of pressure. Air is compressed by various devices, including the simple hand pump and the reciprocating, rotary, centrifugal, and axial-flow compressors. gun into his skull and neck. ``I feel fortunate. Thanks to God and to the doctor who operated on me,'' Mejia said softly in Spanish, his body still weak from the incident. ``All I want is to continue my life with my children, my family. But I don't know Don't know (DK, DKed) "Don't know the trade." A Street expression used whenever one party lacks knowledge of a trade or receives conflicting instructions from the other party. what will happen with me.'' Doctors at Providence Holy Cross Medical Center Providence Holy Cross Medical Center is a hospital in Mission Hills, California, USA. The hospital has 254 beds, and is part of Providence Health & Services. History in Mission Hills said it was a miracle that he survived and that they are hopeful he will make a full recovery. ``We did not have much hope he would survive,'' said Dr. Rafael Quinonez, a neurosurgeon neurosurgeon a physician who specializes in neurosurgery. neurosurgeon A surgeon specialized in managing diseases of the brain, spine and peripheral nerves Meat & potatoes diseases Brain tumors, spinal cord disease Salary $245K + 15% bonus. . ``It's amazing and miraculous.'' The 39-year-old Mejia was working on the roof of a Palmdale home April 19 when he slipped and fell onto a co-worker who was holding a compressed-air nail gun A nail gun, nailgun or nailer is a type of tool used to drive nails into wood or some other kind of material. It is usually driven by electromagnetism, compressed air (pneumatic), highly flammable gases such as butane or propane, or, for powder-actuated tools, a . The tool went off, firing the 3 1/2-inch nails into Mejia. Four of the nails penetrated Mejia's skull, including three that entered his brain. One of those nails came within centimeters of his brain stem. Another nail pierced his vertebral column vertebral column: see spinal column. vertebral column or spinal column or spine or backbone Flexible column extending the length of the torso. while the sixth went through his face. Mejia was comatose co·ma·tose adj. 1. Of, relating to, or affected with coma. 2. Marked by lethargy; torpid. comatose (kō´m when he was airlifted to the trauma center trauma center n. A medical facility that is designated to treat severe physical trauma as a result of the specialized training of its staff and the availability of appropriate diagnostic and treatment tools. at Providence Holy Cross where Quinonez operated and removed five of the nails. The nail in Mejia's face was removed four days later after the swelling went down. Mejia's speech is slow, his face is numb and the little English that he did speak appears to have vanished, although doctors say it might return. Police are investigating the incident, and whether the safety mechanism on the nail gun may have been altered to allow it to fire rapidly. ``It was a bizarre accident, one of the freakiest I have ever seen,'' said sheriff's Sgt. Ken Kyle. Mejia's wife, Juana, 32, watched with pride as her husband spoke to reporters Wednesday. ``I am happy,'' she said. ``We are all happy.'' Rachel Uranga, (818) 713-3741 rachel.uranga(at)dailynews.com CAPTION(S): 2 photos Photo: (1 -- 2 -- color) As neurosurgeon Rafael Quinonez, M.D., looks on during a Wednesday press conference, construction worker Isidro Mejia describes his recollection of the April 19 workplace incident that left six nails embedded in his skull and neck. Gus Ruelas/Staff Photographer |
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