Half of my face melted off as I celebrated date night – I felt like a monster
A WOMAN has revealed how her husband saved her life after half her face was melted off in a freak fire.
Lex Milana, 33, of San Jose, California, was about to celebrate her four-year wedding anniversary last summer when a doctor prescribed Valium for anxiety and sleep.
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While Lex was under the influence of Valium, she unknowingly grabbed a blowtorch from her kitchen and attempted to light a marshmallow in the bathroom.
Lex’s shocked husband found her unconscious, face first, in flames, before saving her life.
Lex was put into a medically induced coma and miraculously survived. Now she speaks exclusively to Fabulous to raise awareness for burn survivors.
Lex says: “That day I almost died, and although I felt like a monster for a while, I’m starting to find my beauty again.
“To all other burn survivors, don’t get hung up on how unfair your situation is.
“The sooner you accept it, the sooner you can love yourself again.”
Last year, in July 2023, Lex was a cybersecurity analyst with a six-figure salary and long hours.
At home, she lived with her husband, Joseph Milana, 53, a motorcyclist, who is 20 years older than her, and their shih tzu dog, Andy.
Lex says: “Joseph and I’s passion in life was riding motorcycles together. We made an incredible team.
“We had been married for almost four years and our anniversary was coming up.
“Rather than plan an expensive dinner, Joseph and I saved money to renew our vows instead.
“But as it got closer, the work became more and more stressful. I loved the career I had built for myself, but the hours were grueling.
‘But my anxiety and stress from work meant I took it out on Joseph in the evening.
“I went to the doctor and he prescribed me Valium, which I had never had before.”
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That evening, while Lex was getting into bed, her husband was running errands. She swallowed the tablet and was soon out like a light.
Lex recalls: “The next time I opened my eyes, I was in a hospital room. My arm was in a sling and my whole body was bandaged. I had no idea how I got there.
“Then a nurse showed up and told me I had been in a fire. I was terrified.
“Joseph was there that night and gave me a kiss. But I couldn’t talk or hug him. It took days for me to recover.
“When I finally did, the doctors told me I had been in a coma for almost two weeks. I couldn’t believe it.
“The last thing I remembered was going to sleep from the tablet.”
Joseph explained to Lex that he came home that evening and the bathroom door was locked.
He continued to bang on the door after Lex didn’t respond, before pushing the door open.
Lex says: ‘Joseph saw me lying face first in a bunch of linen that had caught fire.
How to treat burns and when to call 999
Burns are damage to the skin usually caused by heat.
They can be very painful and can lead to:
- Red or flaky skin
- Blisters
- Swelling
- White or charred skin
The amount of pain you feel is not always related to the severity of the burn.
Even a very serious burn can be relatively painless.
Treating burns and scalds
To treat a burn, follow the instructions FIRST AID advice below:
- Remove the person from the heat source immediately
- Remove all clothing or jewelry
- Cool the burn with cold or lukewarm running water for 20 to 30 minutes
- Make sure the person stays warm
- After the burn has cooled, cover the burn by placing a layer of cling film over it
- Use painkillers
- Elevate the affected area if possible
- If it is an acid or chemical burn, call 999
When should you seek medical attention?
Depending on how severe a burn is, it may be possible to treat it at home.
For minor burns, keep the burn clean and do not pop any blisters that form.
More severe burns require professional medical attention.
You should go to a hospital emergency department for:
- All chemical and electrical burns
- Extensive or deep burns – any burn that is larger than the injured person’s hand
- Burns that cause white or charred skin – regardless of size
- Burns on the face, neck, hands, feet, joints or genitals
If someone has inhaled smoke or fumes, he or she should also seek medical attention.
“He pulled me out and saw that half of my face was melting away, as well as my arms and parts of my body.
“I had no pulse and was unresponsive. He picked me up and resuscitated me until the ambulance arrived.
“He thought I was going to die and saved my life. When I heard all this, I felt numb. I was so shocked.”
Lex discovered that she had third-degree burns on her face, scalp, left arm and neck.
She had been put into a medically induced coma before undergoing multiple skin grafts and woke up two weeks later.
Lex says: “For weeks I was tube-fed and addicted to a breathing machine. When it was taken out, I barely had a voice.
“I had no memory at all. I knew I had taken Valium, but couldn’t remember anything afterward.
“Joseph told me I was ‘out of it’ and that I had apparently gotten a gas burner from the kitchen and tried to light a marshmallow in the bathroom.
“Some clothes on the floor caught fire and I was face-planted in the flames. I was shocked.
“I was so angry that a doctor had made me take such strong medicine. But I was extremely grateful that Joseph and Andy were not injured in the fire.
“One minute we would be celebrating our wedding anniversary. The next moment I was fighting for my life.”
When I looked in the mirror I felt horrible and ugly. I looked like a monster
Lex Milana
Soon Lex slowly started walking around more every day and learned to use her legs again.
At first she refused to look under her facial bandage or in a mirror. But a month later, she finally saw her reflection in the mirror.
Lex says: “My face was melted, burned, bloody and raw. My eyes were almost sewn shut.
“I was bald and my scalp was full of scabs and blood. It looked like something out of a horror movie.
“For the first time since I woke up from the coma, I burst into tears.
‘But I kept telling myself that I was lucky to be alive every day, and that it could have been much worse. I was determined to get better.”
In September 2023, after three months in the hospital, Lex was discharged and sent back home.
But for the next six months, Lex was depressed and became a recluse.
She says: “I lost my cybersecurity job and was suddenly disabled. I lost everything I had worked so hard for.
“Not only that, but when I looked in the mirror I felt horrible and ugly. I looked like a monster.
‘All my life I had been told I was very beautiful, yet I had always been so modest and never let it get to my head.
“Looking back, I realized how much more self-confidence I should have had. I would have killed to get back to my old face.
“I didn’t see any friends or family and the only person I showed myself was Joseph. He was my rock and took care of me day and night.”
In 2024, Lex finally started leaving the house, but she had trouble with strangers staring at her.
She says, “I knew I was making people uncomfortable. Once a child was in the shops with her mother and asked her, ‘Mommy, what’s wrong with her face?’
‘I knew she was just an innocent child, but it wasn’t nice to hear.
“Over time, I got used to the looks and my acceptance of my scars slowly grew.
‘It’s now been a year since the fire, and I’ve had a number of reconstructive surgeries.
“My eyes have healed tremendously and my scars are being smoothed out.
“I even started wearing blonde and brunette wigs that make me feel beautiful.
“I still have more operations to go, it’s a long journey ahead and I’m taking it day by day, but I’m extremely proud of myself.
“To other burn survivors: cherish the everyday moments that make you feel good and know that things always get better.
“I will be forever grateful to my heroic husband. We plan to expand our family and may start IVF in the future.”
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