I Hope You Dance: Monica’s Mission to Lift Up Others

After suffering severe injuries when she was just 6, Monica arrived at Shriners Children’s Texas fighting to survive, and there she found the care and support that would eventually help her thrive.

A tragic fireworks explosion in her hometown of Guerrero, Mexico, left her with extensive burns and life-threatening injuries that required the amputation of both legs and several fingers on her left hand. She was the only survivor among seven family members on that tragic day.

From the moment she opened her eyes at Shriners Children’s Texas, Monica felt something unexpected: the comfort of a family. “I always tell my friends Shriners is more than a hospital,” she said. “It feels like home.”

Over the next 20 years, that sense of home shaped Monica’s healing. With the support of her care teams, she learned to walk again on prosthetic legs, regained her independence and rebuilt the everyday skills that her injuries had taken away. But one of the most transformative parts of her experience went far beyond her physical recovery.

Throughout her years at Shriners Children's, Monica spent time working with psychologist Laura Rosenberg, Ph.D, an experience she calls life‑changing. “Dr. Laura is an angel in my life,” Monica said. “She helped me learn how to talk about my story without crying. She taught me how to understand my emotions and how to be confident when people ask what happened to me.”

These sessions not only helped Monica heal, they also stirred something inside her: a passion for psychology and a desire to assist others in the same way she was helped.

“I want to help kids,” she said. “I want to serve those kids who need some support and who have difficulty finding help.”

Today, Monica is building toward that goal. She lives in Galveston, works at a local historic hotel, and attends classes at Galveston College and College of the Mainland. After completing several English as a second language (ESL) courses, she is now just one subject away from earning her GED. From there, she plans to pursue a degree in psychology.

When she isn’t working or going to school, Monica likes to do fun activities with her friends: have breakfast, go shopping, and, most of all, dance. She is also very proud of her driving skills. She doesn’t let anything slow her down.

With her warmth and compassion, Monica hopes to make a difference in her future career by providing emotional support to children in her community, or to possibly even work at Shriners Children’s, giving back to the place that became her home away from home.