This is Angela Harrow from Pinconning, Michigan. She was burned on Halloween after trick or treating with her children in 2020. Once they returned home from their night out, she went to the basement and turned on the furnace. She started walking up the stairs and heard a large explosion - the furnace blew up. She ran up the stairs and covered her face with her hands - this one action saved her face from severe scarring. Angela explained that she has no idea how she made it to the top of the stairs as they were crumbling in front of her. The explosion was so strong that it knocked over the furniture on the main floor of her house. Angela was unable to immediately get out because a bookcase was blocking the door. Angela's daughter pushed the bookcase out of their escape route; once out of the house, the entire house went up in flames. Everyone made it out of the house; only Angela sustained injuries. 

Angela was airlifted to Flynt and hospitalized for one month and was in a medically induced coma for one week. For her first surgery she received cadaver skin. The cadaver skin was left on for five days, then removed and they used her own skin for grafting. You can see the graft sites on Angela's back and arms. Due to the grafting, one of her tattoos that used to be on her back is now on her thigh. Angela endured five surgeries, two laser treatments, and steroid injections. She does not have any further surgeries scheduled or needed at this time. 

Angela explained that she deals with PTSD after the accident, but as more time passes it becomes less severe. We spoke about how she has dealt with frustration around her physical limitations while healing. She is a nurse and is used to caring for others, having it be the other way around was difficult to accept. She explained that she still deals with a feeling of regret for not having the furnace serviced before turning it on. Through all of these things, Angela has a positive outlook and she has radically accepted her scars. She is back to work as a nurse and doesn't let anything stop her. Some of the coping skills that have been most helpful to her are talking baby steps, therapy, and taking control. She explained that taking baby steps and not rushing the healing process was important. to her recovery. Even though she did not heal as fast as she would have liked, she healed quickly due to performing the physical and occupational therapy exercises constantly. Ultimately, she took control of her recovery, she did everything she could to progress physically and emotionally on a daily basis. 

*A note from the author: I met Angela through a Facebook group for burn survivors. Her and her husband drove 600 miles from Michigan to Maryland on a motorcycle! They stayed in Baltimore for a couple days - it was wonderful getting to know them.