17 December 2023 , 16:14
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A long-haired teen was scalped in a gruesome go-kart accident on her boyfriend's birthday.
Heloisa Cristina Heliodoro's long locks were caught in a go-kart's engine, resulting in 80% of her scalp being ripped off - but the 17-year-old astonishingly survived the horror accident.
Images released by Heloisa's family in Panoa, Brazil showed the devastated teenager in hospital with her head wrapped in bloody bandages. Elizabeth Maria Ribeiro, her mum, was forced to wait more than half an hour for ambulance workers and firefighters to arrive at the go-kart track on December 10.
Heloisa Cristina Heliodoro, at hospital. The teenager was scalped by kart engine in Paranoa, Brazil (CEN)
Heloisa Cristina Heliodoro had waist-length hair before she stepped into the go-kart (CEN)Elizabeth said: "The help itself took a long time. She was bleeding for about 30 minutes." She was eventually taken to Hospital de Base before being transferred to Asa Norte Regional Hospital. No-one warned the teenager about long hair risks, but helmets and safety clothing were given to drivers.
Delays in finding the right care meant the tissue on her scalp could not be successfully sewn back. The hair loss was bad enough, but her mum wanted to warn others about what could have been a bigger physical tragedy. She said the hospital delays contributed to her scalp injuries and impacted the re-growth of her waist-length locks.
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Her mum says she "missed the opportunity" of surgery and for her scalp to be fixed to allow hair to grow back
The 17-year-old is now waiting to have skin graft treatment and is not feeling good. She also needs a special dressing which they have been promised since Monday. She is then expected to be treated for her injuries, but will also need psychological treatment after the trauma of what happened. Local media reported Heloisa was given safety gear, and the go kart firm that runs the track is providing "full support to the family". But the teenager is devastated, not just by the loss of her locks but the trauma of the accident.
The girl's mum told Metrópoles: "It wasn’t just a physical loss of hair. There was damage. The hospital treated us, but left her for a long time without transferring to another, and she lost the tissue that could be used. She missed the opportunity to have surgery and implant again. There are many things. She's only 17 years old."