We recently were fortunate to have the opportunity to get up close and personal with model, television host, spokesperson and motivational speaker, Tamara Mena. Among many projects, Tamara hosts ‘Beauty on Wheels’ (BOW) for ‘Life con Acento LATV’. BOW
is a show that covers trends and events in beauty and
fashion. It's the first show of it's kind to have a host that uses a wheelchair, breaking barriers in the industry.
Read about this dynamic woman and her journey from not one, but two tragedies, to a meaningful life and career.
Tamara intimately shares, in her own words:
Read about this dynamic woman and her journey from not one, but two tragedies, to a meaningful life and career.
Tamara intimately shares, in her own words:
"It’s terrible to go from one day feeling like a super woman, living in my own place in San Diego, an independent 19-year-old and, in seconds, all my dreams and goals in life with my boyfriend were shattered, just like that… Even more, I went from feeling so powerful, to helpless… in seconds.
I couldn’t even do the most basic things for myself. No, I’m not talking about walking here… I’m talking about eating, about breathing, or speaking for myself. My lungs collapsed due to the roof of the taxicab collapsing on top of me, literally, and I had to rely on a ventilator for my breathing and I could not eat nor speak for sometime. It was so difficult and painful. I didn't know what had happened and couldn't even communicate.
As a result of this freaky car accident, I broke my back, sustained a spinal cord injury which left me paralyzed from mid-chest down. I fractured numerous bones, but I was, most of all, heartbroken... as my boyfriend of three years was, unfortunately, killed in the accident. He didn’t make it, but he saved my life.
I was heartbroken for all my hopes, at that moment in my life, were gone.
As painful as it was to lose someone so close to me in that accident, at the same time, I realized that I had to be thankful for the amazing opportunity to go forward in life, regardless of the fact that I would no longer be able to walk. Two people unfortunately did not make it, the taxi driver and Patrick, but I was lucky enough to survive and I was going to try to do my best in life, no matter what. I thought the best tribute to my late boyfriend, was that I could show my gratitude for life.
I couldn’t even do the most basic things for myself. No, I’m not talking about walking here… I’m talking about eating, about breathing, or speaking for myself. My lungs collapsed due to the roof of the taxicab collapsing on top of me, literally, and I had to rely on a ventilator for my breathing and I could not eat nor speak for sometime. It was so difficult and painful. I didn't know what had happened and couldn't even communicate.
As a result of this freaky car accident, I broke my back, sustained a spinal cord injury which left me paralyzed from mid-chest down. I fractured numerous bones, but I was, most of all, heartbroken... as my boyfriend of three years was, unfortunately, killed in the accident. He didn’t make it, but he saved my life.
I was heartbroken for all my hopes, at that moment in my life, were gone.
As painful as it was to lose someone so close to me in that accident, at the same time, I realized that I had to be thankful for the amazing opportunity to go forward in life, regardless of the fact that I would no longer be able to walk. Two people unfortunately did not make it, the taxi driver and Patrick, but I was lucky enough to survive and I was going to try to do my best in life, no matter what. I thought the best tribute to my late boyfriend, was that I could show my gratitude for life.
