00:00When I first looked in the mirror after being at the hospital, I cried and I cried for a while.
00:05Me and five of my other friends were having a Friendsgiving thing and at the end of the night
00:09we decided we want to have a bonfire. Fast forward and gasoline was poured onto the fire
00:14and the fumes and the heat ignited a huge explosion which resulted in me getting burned.
00:19I was med flying to the hospital and I stayed there for 77 days.
00:22Though she's now out of hospital, her recovery is far from over with further surgeries still ahead.
00:28The surgery I just had, I don't feel or look any better than what I thought.
00:35I mean, who wouldn't miss what they used to look like?
00:39It's going to be a few months before a surgery that will literally change everything.
00:45I've been in the hospital for almost a week and I leave today.
00:49I had what was called a skin flap surgery and they basically took like a chunk of my left thigh
00:55and put it on my neck.
00:56This will be about up to here at the end of all the surgeries.
01:00And while waiting for the next stage of surgery, she's reflecting on how far she's come.
01:05I am a 17-year-old girl.
01:07I don't really like the way that I look right now.
01:10I am insecure.
01:12This is just for anyone who's been through a traumatic accident and
01:15your looks have changed in your face or on your body.
01:18You're still beautiful.
01:19I'm still positive because I know it's temporary.
01:23Seven days until my first liposuction.
01:27I know I'm going to look like a hot mess.
01:29I have to keep my head wrapped like this for two weeks to make sure that compression is applied.
01:34My doctor did say that he did want to do at least another one for like the final shaping and
01:39contouring.
01:40And after healing from that surgery, two months later, she has another.
01:45So I'm finally home from my surgery from yesterday.
01:48They just did a little bit of liposuction and then they're going to do one more in maybe two months.
01:53So as you can see on my shoulder, this is called a bolster.
01:55I've had bolsters before.
01:57And what it is is basically zero form, which is like a medicated type of bandage.
02:02I suture it in to apply as much pressure on the graft as possible.
02:05So that way the skin can take it and it heals well.
02:09And after another two months of healing, her final surgery comes around.
02:14This is really heavy.
02:15It hurts to talk.
02:17But I had a full thickness skin graft done on the scar tissue on my chin area.
02:22Just because it was really tight.
02:24And if I would open my mouth, it would pull down my eyes.
02:26And it was just really uncomfortable.
02:28And this whole bolster comes off on Monday.
02:30This pain is something I haven't experienced in a while.
02:34Then the moment finally comes, where she's able to share with us her new completed neck.
02:40So a year ago today, I had my neck surgery.
02:44The difference from a year ago and now today, it's just unbelievable.
02:50After having three liposuctions, how much healing has truly happened in the last year?
02:57Thinking that a year ago, I was crying because I just wasn't happy.
03:01And then today, I'm a little happier.
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