The Cuban model and influencer Yurisleydis Mora, known on social media as Riri (@_la_riri), returned to the catwalks five months after suffering severe burns that left her in critical condition.
"Five months after my accident, I returned to a runway. And maybe for someone watching this video, it's just a fashion show. For me, it was so much more," the young woman wrote in her Instagram post.
Riri participated in an afro hairstyle runway show. She appeared dressed as a black swan, with an outfit and wig created by Laly Extensiones. She walked proudly and showcased her poise before an audience that welcomed her with applause at a nighttime event in Havana.
The group of Cuban models and makeup artists who accompanied her during her recovery was present at this first milestone in her return to professional life.
Riri did not hide the emotional weight of the moment: "It had been just five months, and I was still learning to live with a body, a face, and scars that were no longer the same as before."
She did not deny the fear she felt before going out to model: "I had to show myself again. To stand before the public with my scars, with marks, with a face that was no longer the same, and yet, I went out."
The warmth of the audience surprised her and reignited her passion for her work. "When I heard the applause, when I felt the gazes and the affection of the people, I realized something: not everything that changes in us takes away who we are."
His most powerful words point directly to the essence of his story of overcoming: "My scars changed my appearance, but they couldn't take away my dreams. And after everything I have been through, there is one thing that remains intact: the faith and the desire to move forward."
The accident that shocked the Cuban digital community
On February 2, 2026, the Cuban digital community mobilized urgently when the influencer Ana Maura (@azzucar_morena_) alerted on Instagram about the critical condition of her friend Riri.
The model was hospitalized at La Benéfica Hospital in Havana with burns on much of her body, including her face and respiratory tract. She urgently needed donations of type O positive blood, and many people came together to help save her.
After spending a month isolated in intensive care, Riri was discharged on March 2nd and returned home to continue a prolonged recovery with special dressings, healing ointments, and dermatological creams.
Days later, on March 9th, she spoke publicly for the first time from home and confirmed that she had "survived a direct contact accident with fire."
The video of her return to professional modeling has amassed over 62,000 views and more than 550 comments on Instagram, demonstrating the affection that the Cuban community continues to show this young woman who, with visible scars and intact dreams, walked under the spotlight again. "As long as I continue to believe in myself, there are many runways to walk," she stated.
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