Some Women are Lost in the Fire. Some Women are Built From it.

In this episode I talk to my brand new friend Tiana King.  Tiana and I met as cast members on location for the filming of Adventure All Stars. 

Tiana was quiet when I first met her, shy and appeared naive, by the end of one week’s filming she was gregarious, funny, engaging, self deprecating and witty.

At 28 years old, this week she “celebrates” her 27 year burniversary.

As she says; “people celebrate birthdays & anniversary’s everyday but today I get to celebrate something special to me. I’m 28 years old but my life really started 27 years ago today, yes it’s my BURNIVERSARY. 

27 years ago I was just a baby peacefully sleeping until the night light next to my cot became faulty and started a fire in my bedroom, my whole room went up in flames instantly and by the time my mum found me I was crawling along the floor in flames.. my injuries were so bad I had to be flown to Sydney bc the hospital wasn’t qualified for such a big burn as I was 60% burned later to be 69%. 

Why would I celebrate something so horrible you may ask?? 

My whole life I’ve let these scars own me, I’ve walked all over myself and gave myself a living hell for majority of my life.. I still do but I’m better at realising and snapping myself out of it. My whole life I’ve had people point and laugh, bully and a lot of emotional & physical abuse to the point one day I was cornered in the school bathroom just because I walked differently. I’ve spent my whole life in and out of hospital, still going as a matter of fact.. the hospital trips will never ever end for me like it’s literally a home away from home.  

I celebrate today as if it was my birthday because it was the day my life started and my fight to stay alive begun. I celebrate it because all my hard work to be where I am today deserves recognition. I’m super proud for all the things I’ve overcome and still over coming.

I’ve learned to love who I am, I have bad days but most days it’s self love that I practice on myself. 

If you’re on a similar journey, you fucking got this, you’re gonna struggle and you’re gonna cry but my god you’re a superstar.  

Happy Burniversary to me.”