Delilah’s Story

My Story
(written by Delilah Care, aged 8)

When I was 17 months old, I was burned in a bonfire accident. Half of my body was burned and the doctors put me back together. I spent two months in the hospital and I am lucky to be alive. I have had lots of skin grafts and my mummy calls me her patchwork doll. I have had 100s operations and 1,000 check-ups! I know the doctors and nurses very well and they are all very nice. However I don’t like having operations because the medicines taste horrible and it means I don’t get to go to school and see my friends. My friends don’t treat me any differently, and I know that if I didn’t have burns I would still have those friends.

I like my scars because they make me special.

I don’t like that some people are mean to me and they call me ugly. Right after it happens, I tell someone like a teacher or my parents. I’m sharing my story to you to show that scars are beautiful.

When I grow up, I want to be a burns doctor so I can help other people like me. I want to be a friendly face that will fix people just like I was.

I have two big brothers and they are very protective of me, which can be annoying, but I understand why. I also have 4 cats, 1 dog and 5 hens!

Sophie’s Story

As a mother to a burns survivor, I am delighted to see significant funding being dedicated to research into scar prevention. I am also proud to provide support and advice to the Foundation, as a patient representative I understand the problems of burns scars and the areas that crucially need more research. As a senior scientist working on disorders of the brain I also take a deep interest in the vital psychological research the Foundation are carrying out on scarring.

We live in a world obsessed by perfection and body image, yet the cosmetic aspects, and the fact that my daughter will soon be a teenager, are not my main concern. Scars don’t grow the same way that healthy skin does – this makes walking and running painful and Delilah’s hands don’t function in the same way. She has had to endure countless operations to try to gain normal function, which is simply heart-breaking to have to stand back and watch. I am so proud of Delilah, her strength and her positivity shines through, and has done every day since accident and her two months in intensive care.

The work The Scar Free Foundation is funding is pioneering and, with further funding, has the potential to transform the lives of the many people affected by scarring – in the UK and worldwide.