Fall 2015 Edition of Inspired Magazine.pdf

WRITING
Respect and Kindness are Important
Adriana’s Story
Adriana Ramirez, 18
Freshman IUPUI
Indianapolis, IN
We all face obstacles in our lives that we
have to deal with. Some people have rough
obstacles, or they have easy ones. Then there
are some that change your life forever and
with that, I am a firm believer that everything
happens for a reason. My life was changed
when I was 16 months old. At that infant age, I
was in an accident in which caused me to be
40% burned. In May of 1998, while in Mexico,
I tripped over the cord of a deep fryer. The
deep fryer contained hot cooking oil in which
when I tripped, I pulled down the
cord with me causing me to have
2nd / 3rd degrees burns to the
right side of my face, my chest,
and the front of my thighs. The
only thing that was amputated was
my right ear. Removing it from me
wasn’t the biggest obstacle I had
to face, but rather the future that
lied ahead of me.
With the stares, guilt, anger,
sadness, teasing and the countless
questions all starting since I can
remember, I’ve realized that I had
to grow up at a young age. I had
to grow up and be more mature
than those kids around me and
that was the reality. I went through
a time in my life where I was so
insecure with the way that I looked, that I hated
leaving the house. And when I would be asked
questions or stared at, it was almost as if I was
trapped.
Since my accident, I’ve been treated at
Shriners Hospital for Children in Cincinnati,
OH, where my family and I were welcomed
with love and most importantly, hope. I’ve
been fortunate enough to get the best care,
both emotionally and physically. I’ve endured
many surgeries to my face and body. Among
the surgeries include many skin
grafts as well as tissue expanders. I
am beyond grateful that I have such
a support system within the Shriners
Community.
I also happen to find a lot support
from a retreat called Angel Faces;
a non-profit week long retreat
held for girls who have a facial
disfigurement with the mission to (on
quote from the program’s brochure:
“To provide healing retreats and
ongoing support of adolescent girls
and young women with burn/trauma
injuries to achieve their optimum
potential and develop meaningful
relationships for themselves, their
families, and their communities.”
One of my heroes in life is the CEO
14 Inspired
/InspiredKidsIndy
/inspiredkidmag