A woman who was trapped in a house fire and left with scars across 69% of her skin has shared her story – including her fears around dating as a burns survivor.
As a toddler, Tianna Joy King nearly lost her life after a nightlight caught fire while she was sleeping.
Receiving third and fourth-degree burns to over two thirds of her body, she also lost her toes and heels, as the blaze destroyed her windpipe and blew a hole in her lungs.
Now, 29 years later, Tianna has opened up about her romantic life and the difficulties of dating – having never had a relationship in her life because she is too scared to “open up” to someone.
“I’m too scared to put myself out there because of my scarring and ongoing problems that I’ll have for the rest of my life,” the 29-year-old from Adelaide, Australia, told http://NeedToKnow.co.uk .
“The pain and surgeries – I don’t want to put that on anyone.
“I don’t want to become a burden.
“Of course I’ve considered dating, I’ve never had a boyfriend but I’ve always loved the idea of love and one day I hope to find someone who will see beyond the scars, maybe have a family one day.
“I’ve had a few crushes on people but nothing romantic has comes out of them and it’s always just one sided so hopefully one day it changes.
“I don’t really think much of it but seeing my friends get into relationships sometimes makes me feel like I’m missing out but I’m too scared to put myself out there to achieve this goal so hopefully one day it changes.”
On 8 November 1994, Tianna – then just a baby – woke to find her room on fire, screaming to wake her mum.
Recalling the horrifying incident, she said: “Once my mum got the door open, she saw flames moving along the ground and those flames weren’t just flames.. they were me.
“My clothes were melting to my body and my skin resembled wet tissue paper.
“I was airlifted to a hospital and the doctors told my mum that I would die.”
Tianna was placed in a medically-induced coma for almost a year while she underwent treatment and, against all odds, survived.
But there would be many challenges in the years that followed, including bullying at school, being called a “cooked potato” and missing out on trips and social engagements due to her health.
She said: “I wish I could tell you it was all from my high school days, but a few years ago I had a few friends turn against me and tell me they were gonna burn down my house a second time.
“I’ve had also friendships move on because they’re ready to do things that I’m not, so I often get left out.
“Others wouldn’t tag me in photos on social media.
“All of this tore down my self-esteem and during the worst period of my life, I felt worthless.
“I like to think I’m a confident woman now but it can still get hard sometimes.
“It only takes someone looking at me twice for me to start panicking and second-guess everything.
“But I surround myself with people who make me feel beautiful and confident, which I think is important.”
Despite the negativity, Tianna has made it her mission to spread positivity, sharing her story and her burns with anyone who asks.
She added: “After being bullied my whole life I feel like it’s only right to treat people with kindness and be the person who others can look up to and say ‘if she can do it, I can do it’.
“Things get bad but it’s always important to believe in yourself because we’ve already survived the worst of it.
“Don’t give up on the journey you’re on.
“Life gets beautiful and we are just as beautiful as someone who hasn’t got scars.”
Sharing her story, Tianna hopes to inspire others to love themselves and one day find love.
ENDS
