(Disclaimer: The video contains some disturbing scenes) Recently, I stumbled upon an interview of Katie Piper, a victim of an acid attack, on the BBC website and I have an urge to share the story.
Katie Piper is a 24-year-old girl from the UK. She was a model and a budding TV presenter. However, everything changed on the 31st March 2008, when a stranger splashed acid on her face on the street. The accident was caught under CCTV and the perpetrator has been charged. But this cannot make up for the physical and mental tortures that Katie had to go through. She has made a documentary called "Katie: My Beautiful Face" and it is scheduled to be shown on BBC Channel 4 starting from 29th October to share her experience of being a burn-survivor.
In the TV interview, Katie Piper talked about her experience of getting used to her new life and the shock that she encountered at the beginning.
"It's very confusing not to see your own reflection in the mirror and it was hard to accept." she described her reaction when she first looked into a mirror after the incident. She joked that the psychologist had given her the wrong mirror.
Since the accident, she has undergone 30 operations. She has been fortunate to be the first patient to receive a revolutionary treatment called Metroderm, instead of a normal skin replacement. According to Katie, Metroderm is a new technology that first helps rebuild the structure of the face, and then skin-graphs are put on top. With four layers and the fat of her facial skin burnt, this technology has helped dramatically in the duration. One of the biggest satisfaction is that Katie can now have facial expressions.
"It's so amazing to be able to smile," she said, "Having the freedom to move my face and to show everybody how happy I am is amazing".
Her courage is admirable and no doubt, she has one of the most beautiful and confident smiles I have ever seen.
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