My name is Hannah. I have always been a very active person and love to dance, but on Valentine’s Day of 2020 my life suddenly changed.
An incident happened while I was out with friends that led to the clothing on the left side of my body being set alight.
I stopped, dropped and rolled, putting myself out, and somehow managed to get myself home on pure adrenaline. I could smell my skin burning and my clothes had shrunk into my body.
My mam was my hero. She rushed me straight to hospital and carried me through to A&E where I was put straight through to the emergency surgery room. Unfortunately, the hospital closest to us did not have a burns unit, so I had my clothes, shoes and some hair cut off and was given as much pain relief as they could give me while I waited for an ambulance to take me to the burns hospital.
For three days I had intensive treatment for my burns, and I could not believe just how serious the accident was. I was in shock.
Coming to terms with how my leg looked and how it was affecting my mobility and confidence was difficult.
I was told I would be undergoing skin graft surgery in a week, so I waited anxiously until then – I’d never had surgery before this. The day came for my skin grafting surgery. All seemed to go well and I was allowed to return home the next day. However, the skin graft area became infected with sepsis, and talk of amputation was whirling around. I’d never been so scared in my life. I was taken for emergency surgery to remove the infected tissue and the tissue surrounding it.
Fortunately, the second surgery went well, but I had to stay in hospital for around three weeks to learn how to walk with that leg again. It really put things into perspective for me, as I was coming to realise that the life I had before wasn’t the one I was going to have moving forwards.
When I first looked at my burns, I was very insecure, because I knew that people would have questions and comments. Everything had happened so fast that I didn’t know how I’d deal with them. I hadn’t come to terms with it myself.
The pandemic started soon after and there wasn’t very much support available outside of my family. I felt alone and lost. Coming to terms with how my leg looked and how it was affecting my mobility and confidence was difficult.
It took time for Hannah to regain her confidence
I went on to college at the end of 2020, which I hoped would help me move forward, but it became a nightmare, as unkind remarks were being made about my burn scar. Local newspapers had shared a story about the incident I was involved in, and some of the comments after the article were horrific, including people saying that I should’ve died, that I deserved what had happened, and that I should be ashamed.
My mam had to comfort me for weeks, as this took a really big toll on my mental health, but as of today I feel like I deserve to live confidently, and I should never have to hide my scar.
My younger brother was a huge part of my recovery. He is disabled and has had countless surgeries and procedures that have changed the way he looks, yet he has the most confidence I’ve ever seen somebody have! His positive attitude made me realise and appreciate that everyone with a scar, mark or visible difference should be able to accept themselves for who they are.
I’ve done a lot of inner work to come to terms with what happened to me and now I love my body because it managed to keep me going through my accident and it’s what makes me unique. I’m more accepting of my scars than I ever have been, and I’ll never take anything for granted again.
Take everything one step at a time and at your pace, while trying to take positives from any negatives you may face.
I’m currently receiving more surgeries, which will make my mobility much better and hopefully improve my circulation. The process is called serial incision, which takes around a year to complete and it means I’ll be having multiple surgeries.
I used to be a dancer and it’s something I’m still very passionate about, so once I finish my surgeries and hopefully improve my mobility, I want to train to become a dance teacher for disabled people and children. Giving them a space to express themselves and feel comfortable and confident doing what they love would be amazing.
In the future, I hope to inspire other people who have experienced similar situations to me, helping them to realise that they are just as beautiful as the next person and that they matter.
There is only one you and you should always be proud to wear your scars, birthmarks, or any other visible difference with confidence. Your differences do not define you. Never forget that your feelings and emotions take time to heal and process, just as a scar does, so don’t rush it. Take everything one step at a time and at your pace, while trying to take positives from any negatives you may face.
Everybody is on their own journey and the most important thing to remember is that no matter what obstacles you may face, you are strong enough to get through it! Learn to love and be kind to yourself.
