An young man who suffered third-degree burns to 70 per cent of his body in a
childhood accident has faced his fears by becoming a firefighter.
Terry
McCarty was just six years old when he was engulfed with flames after his
brothers filled a bowl with kerosene which was set alight and accidentally
knocked on to him.
The 29-year-old, from Hawthorne, Nevada, endured 58
operations as well as cruel taunts from bullies who called him Freddy Krueger
because of the scars on his face, body and arms.
But he was determined to
overcome the harrowing experience that had crippled his confidence for
years.
He was engulfed with flames after his brothers filled a bowl with
kerosene which was set alight and accidentally knocked on to him
He said:
‘After the accident I lived in a constant state of fear and uncertainty.
‘I
struggled to find work as an adult as people always told me I was a liability,
and I had started to believe it.
Mr McCarty applied to a Washington fire
service in October 2011.
After his application was accepted in April 2012, he
faced 12 weeks of gruelling training, where he confronted fire for the first
time since his accident.
‘If I could do this, people would realise I
could do anything’: Terry McCarty in his bunker gear aged 26 (left) and 27
(right). He applied to the fire service in October 2011 and passing his training
in July the following year
He said: ‘As part of my training I had to complete
a live fire exercise, where fire is made using propane in an artificial
setting.
‘Fear washed right over me, just as the fire had all those years
ago.
‘I couldn’t move, I felt like I was six years old again when I saw
those flames shooting out of the ceiling.
‘But I think it helped. In the end
– I started to realise the fire didn’t control me. Why should I let fear take
over my life?’
In July 2012, having passed his training, Mr McCarty won the
admiration and respect of his colleagues and the public.
He said: ‘Attending
events, or even just being out in public in my uniform, always attracted a
mixture of shocked and awed reactions.’
Mr McCarty lost part of his
fingers and thumbs in the accident and had to teach himself how to quickly put
on his uniform and air tank and properly brace himself with his hip when using a
hose.
Having spent two years as a firefighter, he quit the force to work with
the Burned Children Recovery Foundation at Camp Phoenix, a programme in
Bellingham, Washington, supporting children with burns.
He said: ‘Fire robbed
me of my childhood – I wanted to give these children a chance to experience
being a kid, even for a short time.’
After his accident in 1992, he was
placed in a medically-induced coma for two months at Shriners Hospital in
Galveston, Texas.
Mr McCarty was hospitalised for 12 months and remembers
this time vividly, including the debridement process of scrubbing off his burned
skin, and multiple skin grafts.
He said: ‘It was absolutely terrifying. I
didn’t understand anything – all I knew was that when I saw a doctor, I should
expect pain.
‘I’d be taken out of surgery just long enough to stabilise and
then I’d be rushed back in.’
After a year of recovery, he returned to
school at the age of eight, where he became the victim of bullies who would call
him ‘monster’, ‘toast’ and ‘Freddy Krueger’.
He said: ‘The one thing that got
me through was the love of my family – especially my brothers, Ryan and
Jason.
‘There was never any anger between us, and I don’t know what I
would’ve done without them.’
He and his brothers became inseparable and with
their encouragement and support he found the courage to stop hiding himself, and
accept the stares and comments.
He said: ‘The emotional bond we had was vital
to my recovery – they did so much for my confidence by just being
there.’
Apart from the scarring and damage to his hands, he suffered no major
health issues as a result of the burns, and quickly adjusted to moving with his
tighter skin.
He is now focusing on opening his own foundation to fund
programmes for children with burns.
Although he has no immediate plans to
return to firefighting, he hopes his foundation, which will focus on
fundraising, will provide the financial support needed for other foundations
that offer firefighting experience.
Mr McCarty, now of Bellingham,
Washington, said: ‘Nothing like this programme has been done before.
‘It’s
going to take a lot of work, but being able to support people who suffered like
I did will make it all worthwhile.’
Read more:
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3041542/The-courageous-burns-victim-FIREFIGHTER-American-suffered-horrific-injuries-aged-six-overcomes-fear-vowing-fire-wouldn-t-control-me.html#ixzz3XZ4fEnGf
