In 1979, I was eleven years old and thought I had the world by the hand, only in a brief moment my life would change forever. I was cooking a sandwich on the stovetop and as I turned the stove eye off my sweatshirt caught on fire. I was at home alone, scared, and I ran outside on a cold, windy, February day. A gentleman passing our home saw me and put the fire out and called the EMS. I was burned 60% 2nd & 3rd degree. For the next six months I have no memory, I was transported to the Shriners Hospital in Cincinnati, Ohio for Burn Children. It was truly the Lord that brought me through, the doctor’s had all but given up on me. I imagine thats when my perserverance first kicked in and I deceided I wasn’t going anywhere. I had no idea how hard it was going to be to recover both physically and mentally. Someone ask which was the hardest to recover, I would say mental. You have to tell yourself you are beautiful. The physical part can be restored. As I stabalized for surgery my mom was by my side for months. She would read to me, do puzzles, anything to keep me company while i was in ICU. I don’t know what I would have done if mom had not of been with me all of those months. There isn’t enough "Thank You" or "Hugs" to ever tell her what she means to me.The hospital had a volunteer teacher that helped me keep up with my school assignments so I would not be held back in school. For each surgery I was out of school two or three months so it was important to keep my grades up.

For each surgery they took the skin from my legs for the skin grafts.  I had to wear pressure garments on my legs because it takes a while for the donor sites to heal. I had to wear numourous plastic neck braces, and body braces, to keep my skin from contracting and to smooth the tissue down. My mom was taught how to change my bandges, assist with the prescribed exercise program to keep to skin streched out, and out course those wonderful plastic braces I enjoyed so much. As I improved the braces would dissappear and could be found in some weird places, like laundry baskets, outside in flower beds. LOL  I continued on with reconstructive surgery once or twice a year until I was eighteen years old. The doctors there did a fantastic job. They are my second home!

I will be the first to say that this changes a person, I am very outgoing now. At that time I didn’t want to see anyone. I could see people look at my burns and I felt like a monster. I am from a small town and my name was in our local newspaper for months. They published everything that happened to me, my tragedy had become an open book. It was difficult dealing with stares so I stayed home in my comfort zone. I didn’t go to any extra curricular activities after school, any of the school dances, or the senoir trips. I was either in Shriners or at home recovering from a procedure. Sometimes I wish I had not missed out on so much of my hign school activities like. I did and I gained alot from accident. I found out I am very strong, I am very strong willed, and I know there is something in this life for me. I don’t throw pity party it solves nothing, no one listens, one one cares, its up to me to take charge of my life.