The story of a woman who was taken in an explosion of catastrophic gas in Cambodia who left her with burns in the second and third degree on a large part of her body has become viral on social networks.
“I lived there at the time, teacher kindergarten, and I had just stopped at an intersection on a moped when a neighboring service station exploded,” said Abbey Alexander de Glendive, Montana, 24 years old Nowsweek. “I underwent burns in the second and third degree on approximately 35% of my body, including my arms, legs and my face.”
The explosion, which occurred on August 14, 2019, launched Alexander in a one -year recovery process She now tells in a memory. His story drew great attention after sharing images of his recovery journey in an article on RedditStanding almost six years since the incident. The position has received more than 163,000 UMPS votes since its sharing on July 20.
Abbey Alexander
“These photos were taken while I was at Denver hospital during my initial recovery,” she said.
In the United States, around 486,000 people are treated each year for burn injuries, noted a study of November 2024 published in the North America’s physical medicine and rehabilitation clinics. The study said that “burning injuries are increasingly recognized as causing various and dynamic biopsychosocial challenges which can persist throughout survival”.
Alexandre’s account aligns with these conclusions. “It was intense, both physically and emotionally,” she said. “I was initially treated in Cambodian hospitals and finally implemented a burn icu [intensive care unit] In Denver, where I underwent long -term surgeries and care. Since then, I had to relearn how to walk, manage the nervous pain and browse the trauma of the experience. “”
Abbey Alexander
Among medical interventions, Alexandre has undergone multiple grafts of skin, surgeries and in -depth therapy. “I have suffered skin grafts, receiving treatment, multiple debridement surgeries, physical therapy and occupational therapy, therapy for compression clothing and continuous mental health care,” she said.
Alexander’s early prognosis came with uncertainty. “There were very early concerns about infection, the rejection of skin transplants and the risk of long-term disability,” she said. “Over time, I exceeded most expectations, although emotional recovery has taken more time than physique.”
This emotional assessment remains at the heart of his experience. “Invisible scars have been the most difficult to manage,” said Alexander. “Trauma, sspt [post-traumatic stress disorder] And the emotional toll has the most attached. “”
She noted: “Learning to live in a body that has changed permanently, while holding space for the gratitude that I survived, was a process in progress.”
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