Reframing What It Means To Be Strong
“At just 2 years old, I was burned over 91% of my body. If being burned to that severity taught me anything as a young child, it was to 'toughen up,' and that my emotional well-being didn't matter and that strength meant shutting out how I felt and pain, being 'tough,' and being able to go through severe pain and still 'function.''
Scars Are Not Halloween Costumes
““Your skin is so scary! How did you get it to look like that?
”Too bad it’s real,” I responded.”
Taking Off The Mask
“Hiding behind a mask meant hiding my pain, the severity of my trauma, and repressing my needs to keep the peace and blend into society. But one can only wear a mask for so long.”
Re-Authoring My Story
"As I re-wrote this narrative through my successes and healing, it also meant re-authoring the narrative in my story and the way I shared my story with others."
Am I Disabled?
“Yes, I have limitations and disabilities from my burn injury, but I prefer to look at my abilities and find accommodations to achieve all that I want in the world. Most importantly I am not what happened to me, my limitations, burns or scars, my work, I am an individual - Michelle - and that is enough all on its own.”
Make it stand out
“Discrimination can happen to anyone. I chose to focus on my abilities and what I need to achieve them rather than my limitations. Together we can help get rid of ableism and burnism and find ways for others to adapt and fit in the world we live in.”
Horses Saved Me
“Freedom. Love. Trust. Empowered. Understood. Grounded. Peace. Joy. Safe. Present. This is what I felt my first time on a horse. I still feel these things every time I am with horses today. As a childhood burn survivor with scars on roughly 91% of my body, these are all of the things I struggled to feel in my day-to-day life growing up. And frankly, there are still times of struggle today. The scars on my physical body often caused me to feel judged, misunderstood, restricted, unsafe, and uneasy. When I found horses, that all changed.”
Me, a Monster?
"She stared at me and stated, “You look like you are from a horror movie.” It was the first day of burn camp for young burn survivors. She was a burn survivor camper. I was a burn survivor counselor."
Writing to Discover My Story
“When people ask “what happened?” they’re referring to my burn injury and what caused my scars. Often people act like I’m that one story, or that story is all that I am. They ask about the one day — always the same day — May 19, 1996.”