What's most striking about Pahola is the clarity with which she sets her goals and achieves them, one by one. Beneath her serene and gentle exterior lies an impressive inner strength and unwavering will. She knows what it's like to fall into an abyss and also what it's like to climb out of it, step by step, day by day.
Pahola's routine is like that of any young, independent woman who strives to improve every day. She currently works at the Human Rights Ombudsman's Office. She is one of the most respected lawyers, for her dedication and people skills. Her job isn't easy: she's a complaints officer. That doesn't matter. Nothing has been easy for her, and that's why she's learned not to fear difficulties.
Pahola uses a wheelchair. Although she hasn't fully regained the use of her hands, she's managing very well. In fact, she handles everything very well. It's no wonder she shone in Poland, where she spent a few days representing Guatemala in Miss Wheelchair World . That's who she is: versatile and surprising.
An unexpected event that changed his life
Pahola Solano was only 17 years old when her life changed forever. At the time, she was in her final year of bilingual secretarial school. It was Secretary's Day, and she went to celebrate with her best friends. It was already late when the boyfriend of one of her classmates offered to drive them home.
Pahola was in the passenger seat and vividly remembers some specific details of that night. For example, she remembers the moment she realized the boy was driving too fast. She almost felt something bad was going to happen. That's why she closed her eyes, almost as if to say, "If I'm going to die, I don't want to see how."
The predictable thing happened. The car overturned, and unfortunately, she was trapped. No one could see her, and Pahola lost feeling in her body. She also began to feel like she couldn't breathe. There was a lot of confusion around her. Someone came to help them, and someone started counting the injured. "One is missing," she said. Her friends then realized. "It's Paho! Paho is missing! Paho isn't out!" She wanted to shout that he was there, but her voice wouldn't come out.
A succession of miracles
Pahola's case has many shocking details. One of them is the fact that she arrived at the hospital alive, but the doctors declared her dead due to negligence. They sent her to the morgue. A couple of hours later, her mother arrived to identify the body. She was crying and praying. Pahola opened her eyes, and that's when they realized she was still alive.
Her parents took her to a private hospital, where she underwent surgery. The prognosis was reserved. They stabilized her, but the doctors thought she would only live another 72 hours. That's when the second miracle happened, because, against all odds, she survived. However, shortly afterward, she was visited by a doctor who told her something she would never forget: "Patoja, you ruined your life. What happened to you was that you fractured your cervical spine. You injured your spinal cord, and that automatically made you quadriplegic."
Basically, they predicted she'd never be able to get out of bed again. But Pahola thrives on miracles. At first, it seemed like she'd be dependent on others for the rest of her life. But then, with therapy, daily effort, and the encouraging voices of her family, friends, and religious leaders, everything began to change. The grasshopper came back to life.
A new life
In 2010, Pahola finished high school. She then enrolled at the University of San Carlos of Guatemala, in the Faculty of Law and Social Sciences. She never thought she would find so much solidarity and affection among her classmates, but she did. Her tenacity and the affection of those around her helped her reach the end of her studies. In 2016, she graduated with a degree in Law and Social Sciences, as a lawyer and notary.
It didn't take long for her to find a job at the Attorney General's Office. At the time, she wanted to share her experiences. She made a video to share who she was and what she had achieved. She wanted to inspire others who were struggling. What she didn't expect was that, thanks to that video, she would be contacted from Poland and invited to participate in Miss Wheelchair World .
Pahola managed to go to Poland accompanied by her mother. This wasn't a beauty pageant, but a platform to address female disability from a different perspective. A beautiful experience, one that Pahola surely holds dear to her heart. She returned to her commitments, to her life. She knows she still has a lot to do. She also knows she's capable of achieving whatever she sets her mind to.
Did you like Pahola's story? Continue reading about Juana Rodriguez , an Argentine influencer whose life was changed by an amputation.
