Tell us your story. Why was this time in your life the perfect time to be seen and heard in this project? What do you want the world to know about you?

My story is one of profound loss, survival, and determination. In 2015 I was in a devastating, life-altering house fire that took the life of my husband, our beloved dogs: Jack and Max, and nearly my own life. I was severely burned on 37% of my body and had a 10% chance of survival. I was placed in a medically induced coma for 3 weeks to undergo skin grafting surgeries, after which I woke up to learn the gravity of what had happened. The fire also destroyed our home and the majority of our belongings.The loss of my spouse, Chuck, was by far the most devastating, and difficult loss to accept and process. The unwavering support from our community, my family, and close friends is what got me through.

It took many years of physical, mental, and emotional healing for me to get to where I am today. Although I still carry both visible and invisible scars, I fought my way through, navigated grief, healing, and identity… choosing not just to survive, but to love life again.

I want them to know that I am not defined by what happened to me, but by how I continue to live… resilient, compassionate, and deeply human. This time in my life was the perfect time to be seen and heard in this project because I’m no longer in the middle of the storm - I’m in the part of the story people rarely get to see… where strength and meaning has taken shape. I’ve become the message, not just someone who went through something, but someone who can help others navigate through it too.

Talk about your passion/profession/cause. What do you love about it? Why is it important?

My passion is giving back to the community, and reaching back and supporting others walking similar paths. I volunteer locally in the burn unit that saved my life, meeting new survivors and offering them hope and encouragement during one of the most difficult injuries they may sustain. We now have Ozarks’ Burn Support Group that meets monthly and is peer led and driven.

I also volunteer regionally with an organization called Burns Recovered, which is a St. Louis-based nonprofit that supports burn and inhalation survivors and their families through peer support, financial aid, and community education. They offer programs like the Midwest Children’s Burn Camp, family camp, young adult retreats, adult retreats, and emergency assistance for housing and living expenses. Founded in 1983, the organization provides a network of hope and resources, helping survivors and their families navigate recovery and build self esteem. I volunteer nationally with the Phoenix Society for Burn Survivors as a SOAR

(Survivors Offering Assistance during Recovery) Trained Peer Supporter. The Phoenix Society for Burn Survivors is a national burn survivor nonprofit organization that has been a trusted leader since 1977, empowering burn survivors, caregivers, burn care professionals, and fire service members, and more with peer support, educational tools and resources, advocacy, and

community connection. I love it because not only do I get to give back… I get to meet some truly amazing people and offer hope and assistance during THEIR journey of healing and beyond. It is important because this is something that I KNOW where they are, as I have lived through something similar. While physicians, care teams, family, friends, and community may be there for new survivors, there is a special touch that survivors that are farther along in the healing journey can offer that no one else can. Additionally, advocacy, awareness, and acceptance is very much needed for the burn community as a whole.

What do you hope that the woman who arrives at your page in the magazine will takeaway from your story and image?

Courage, strength, beauty, worth, and femininity after trauma are all possible. Surviving isn’t the end of the story. It’s ok if healing is messy, slow and nonlinear. That grief can live alongside purpose.

What advice or wisdom would you like to pass on to other women? What values have served you well in your life?

You are stronger than you think, but you don’t have to carry everything alone. There is courage in reaching out, in softening, in letting yourself be supported. Life can break you, and somehow, you can still build something beautiful with the pieces. Beauty isn’t only skin deep. Let people see you.