Miguel Abel Guajardo Jr. is a dad who enjoys playing baseball and working to advance his rap music career. But Gudo didn’t expect to be shot in the head and arm while doing what he loves.
“I was at a music video shoot for one of my songs and a drive-by happened,”
Guajardo says. “It just kind of happened too fast to even recognize. I remember hearing clapping sounds, then turning to the right and next thing I know I got shot. I remember thinking, ‘I think I got hit in the head,’ then I was falling toward the ground and then I got hit in the arm and I think that's pretty much it. I don't remember anything after that.”
Guajardo’s next memory was his grandpa pleading for him to wake up.
“He was telling me, wake up, wake up, wake up. And I woke up and I realized I was in the hospital,”
Guajardo remembers. “I couldn't move and I wanted to talk, but the words weren’t coming out. It was very difficult. I was in a coma for three days and during that time the nurses washed me and cleaned me up and when I woke, they continued to help me get myself together. I thank every nurse and doctor for that.”
Guajardo’s recovery process was a total of three months—two weeks at Harris Health Ben Taub Hospital, then he was transferred to a rehabilitation center where he spent the remainder of his time.
“I had different doctors for every part of my brain. There were so many nurses and doctors who were nice to me and who really helped save my life,” he says. “Some would come in and try to make me laugh and some would come to take me outside. I thank God for every person who was there to help me live another day.”
Despite the traumatic shooting,
Guajardo says he is back to working on his music and focused on getting back to his normal self with family and music as his motivation.
“Once I had my head injury, I thought my music career was over,”
Guajardo says. “I never thought I would speak again the way I do today. I just thank God for everything he has allowed me do and that I'm still doing it. I thank all the surgeons who performed magnificent, successful surgeries as well. Now that I have recovered, I do feel like there's some things I use to be able to do, that I can't do, but it's nothing too hard to learn again. I have to push through for myself, and most importantly for my kids.”