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DATE FROM HELL
Half my face melted off as I celebrated date night with my hubby – it left me feeling like a monster
Scroll up to see Lex share her incredible story
A WOMAN has revealed how her husband saved her life after half of her face melted off in a freak accident fire.
Lex Milana, 33, from San Jose, California, was due to celebrate her four-year wedding anniversary last summer when she was prescribed Valium by a doctor for anxiety and sleep.
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While Lex was under the effects of valium, she unknowingly got a blow-torch from her kitchen and tried to light a marshmallow in the bathroom.
Lex’s horrified husband found her unconscious, face first, in a flames, before saving her life.
Lex was put into an induced coma and by some miracle, survived. Now, she’s speaking exclusively to Fabulous to raise awareness for burn survivors.
Lex says: “That day I nearly died, and although I was left feeling like a monster for a while, I’m starting to find my beauty again.
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“To any other burn survivors out there, 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 on a 6-figure salary, working long hours.
At home, she lived with her husband, Joseph Milana, 53, a motorbike rider, who’s 20 years her senior, and their Shih Tzu dog, Andy.
Most read in Fabulous
Lex says: “Joseph and mine’s passion in life was riding motorbikes together. We made an incredible team.
“We’d been married for nearly four years and had our anniversary coming up.
My skin fell off and I fear my vagina is scarred for life after 'out-of-date' hot water bottle exploded
“Rather than planning an expensive dinner, Joseph and I were saving money to renew our vows instead.
“But as it was approaching, work was getting more stressful. I loved the career I’d built for myself but the hours were gruelling.
“But my anxiety and stress from work was making me take it out on Joseph in the evenings.
“I went to the doctor and he prescribed me Valium, which I’d never had before.”
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That night, whilst Lex got into bed, her husband was out running errands. She gulped the tablet down, and was soon out like a light.
Lex says: “When I next opened my eyes, I was in a hospital room. My arm was in a sling, and my body was bandaged all over. I had no idea how I got there.
“Then a nurse appeared and told me I’d been in a fire. I was terrified.
“Joseph was there that night, giving me a kiss. But I couldn’t speak or hug him. It took days for me to come around.
“When I finally did, doctors told me I’d been in a coma for nearly 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’d come home that night to the bathroom door being locked.
He kept banging on the door after Lex didn’t respond, before busting the door open.
Lex says: “Joseph saw me laying face first in bunch of linens 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 may cause:
- Red or peeling skin
- Blisters
- Swelling
- White or charred skin
The amount of pain you feel is not always related to how serious the burn is.
Even a very serious burn may be relatively painless.
Treating burns and scalds
To treat a burn, follow the advice below:
- Immediately get the person away from the heat source
- Remove any clothing or jewellery
- Cool the burn with cool or lukewarm running water for 20 to 30 minutes
- Make sure the person keeps warm
- After cooling the burn, cover the burn by placing a layer of cling film over it
- Use painkillers
- Raise the affected area if possible
- If it's an acid or chemical burn, dial 999
When to get medical attention
Depending on how serious a burn is, it may be possible to treat it at home.
For minor burns, keep the burn clean and do not burst any blisters that form.
More serious burns require professional medical attention.
You should go to a hospital A&E department for:
- All chemical and electrical burns
- Large or deep burns – any burn bigger than the injured person's hand
- Burns that cause white or charred skin – any size
- Burns on the face, neck, hands, feet, any joints or genitals
If someone has breathed in smoke or fumes, they should also get medical attention.
“He pulled me out, and saw half of my face melted off, as well as my arms and parts of my body.
“I had no pulse and wasn’t responding. He lifted me up, and did CPR on me until the ambulance arrived.
“He thought I was going to die and saved my life. Hearing it all I felt numb. I was in so much shock.”
Lex learned she had third degree burns to her face, scalp, left arm and neck.
She’d been put into an induced coma before having multiple skin grafts and woke two weeks later.
Lex says: “For weeks I had a tube feeding me, and was hooked to a breathing machine. When it was taken out, I barely had a voice.
“I had no memory at all. I knew I took the Valium but couldn’t remember anything after that.
“Joseph told me I’d been ‘out of it’ and I’d apparently gotten a blow-torch from the kitchen, and tried to light a marshmallow in the bathroom.
“Some clothes on the floor set fire and I face planted right into the flames. I was horrified.
“I felt so angry that a doctor had let me take such strong medication. But I was extremely thankful Joseph and Andy weren’t hurt in the fire.
“One moment, we were supposed to be celebrating our wedding anniversary. The next I was fighting for my life.”
Looking in the mirror I felt hideous and ugly. I looked like a monster
Lex Milana
Soon Lex started slowly walking around more each day, learning to use her legs again.
At first she refused to look under her face bandages or in a mirror. But a month later, she finally saw her reflection.
Lex says: “My face was melted, burnt, bloody and raw. My eyes were nearly sewn shut.
“I was bald, with my scalp was full of scabs and blood. It was like something out of a horror film.
“For the first time since I’d woken from the coma, I burst into tears.
“But I kept telling myself I was lucky to be alive every day, and that it could’ve gone a lot worse. I was determined to get better.”
In September 2023, after three months in 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’d worked so hard for.
“Not only that but looking in the mirror I felt hideous and ugly. I looked like a monster.
“I’d been told my entire life I was very beautiful, yet I’d always been so humble and never let it get to my head.
“Looking back, I realised how much more confident I should’ve been. I would’ve killed to go back to my old face again.
“I didn’t see friends or family and the only person I let see me was Joseph. He was my rock, caring for me day and night.”
In 2024, Lex began to finally leave the house, but she struggled with strangers staring at her.
She says: “I knew I made people uncomfortable. Once, a child was with her mum in the shops and asked her ‘Mummy, what’s wrong with her face?’
“I knew she was just an innocent child, but it wasn’t nice to hear.
“In time, I got used to the stares and my acceptance of my scars slowly grew.
“Now, it has been a year since the fire, and I’ve had a several reconstructive surgeries.
“My eyes have healed tremendously and my scars are being smoothed out.
“I’ve even started wearing blonde and brunette wigs that make me feel beautiful.
“I’ve got more surgeries to go still, it’s a long journey ahead and I take it day by day, but I’m tremendously proud of myself.
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“To other burns survivors, cherish the everyday moments that make you feel good and know it does always get better.
“I’ll forever be grateful for my hero husband. We’re planning to extend our family, and might start IVF in future.”
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