At nine years old, Andrea Grant was severely burned in a gas explosion with her brother in their home. Typically, she waited for their older sister to get off the bus to go inside, but on August 14, 2001 the siblings happened to have a key. Since she was so young, Grant had no ability to recognize the harm in the gasoline smell caused by a gas leak in their home. When they turned the kitchen light on, the entire living room and kitchen area blew up in flames.
The explosion resulted in second and third-degree burns that cover 80 percent of her body. Andrea's inspiring journey to get where she is today displays such a beautiful perseverance. Throughout her burn trauma, she stays positive with her strength in feeling blessed to be alive. Both Andrea and her brother were able to make it out of Shriner's hospital with uplifting joy, both feeling grateful to not have any lost limbs.
Doctors told Grant that she would never be able to carry a baby to term because doctors didn’t believe her scars would be able to stretch without skin tearing. But Andrea Grant amazingly continues to prove them wrong with her two beautiful children to show for it.
We all have scars; and whether you can see them or not, scars are a sign of growth and strength. Scars represent what we have overcome. They survived, and because Grant survived she originated Beyond Scars, which is her motivational platform that encourages burn victims and their families. We should all learn to embrace our scars because scars help shape who we are, and inspire who we become. As a motivational speaker for Beyond Scars, Andrea proves that life is worth living with scars because scars show how strong we really are.
