Brave White Island survivor Stephanie ’s ‘amazed’ by recovery progress since tragedy
Stephanie Browitt’s indomitable bravery since losing her father and sister in the White Island volcanic eruption while being left to live with horrific burns, inspired Melbourne. Now, the 24-year-old is sharing what she considers an “amazing privilege” since the tragedy.
News
Don't miss out on the headlines from News. Followed categories will be added to My News.
White Island volcano survivor Stephanie Browitt has revealed the toll the deadly eruption has taken on her body — and how she is constantly fighting to improve her recovery.
The 24-year-old has bravely shared three photos of her back, tracking her skin’s recovery in the months after the December tragedy.
Ms Browitt said she had been reluctant to share the photos but wanted to be open about her journey.
“For me personally, my back is one of the areas I struggle to feel comfortable with as the healing process continues,” she posted on Instagram.
“I wanted to put aside my own insecurities and be as brave and open as possible about my recovery.
“My back was burnt extremely badly, they’re so deep I was burnt through all layers of my skin (dermis, epidermis), muscle and fat.
“Comparing these photos and how much my back has changed over time absolutely amazes me.”
Ms Browitt told the Herald Sun she considers sharing her experience with others an “amazing privilege”.
“When people reach out to me and express how the sharing of my journey online has helped them throughout their own hardships and inspired them to keep going, I realised that perhaps my pain, my story and my photos prompted others to be proud of their own scars and journey,” she said.
Ms Browitt, whose dad Paul and sister Krystal were killed in the tragedy, recently spearheaded the Herald Sun’s Melbourne Strong campaign to inspire people struggling in lockdown.
Her own elective surgery has put on hold due to restrictions but she is “constantly stretching” as her burns make it difficult to bend down.
“I just have to keep pushing to be my very best self,” she said.
In Ms Browitt‘s inspiring Melbourne Strong message, she urged Victorians to cherish time with their families.
“Watch some family movies, play games, annoy each other, cook together, share in a jigsaw, get creative and find some new hobbies,” she said last month.
“Everybody is going through this together and this too, with perseverance will pass.”
MORE NEWS
WHITE ISLAND SURVIVOR’S PLEA TO LOCKED-DOWN MELBURNIANS