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There's A Better, Faster Way To Predict Sepsis
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There's A Better, Faster Way To Predict Sepsis

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White Island volcano survivor speaks out about losing her fingers

Brave Aussie Stephanie Browitt is recovering from her severe burns - by Sarah Firth
  • 30 Jun 2020
White Island volcano survivor speaks out about losing her fingers

An Australian women who survived the devastating White Island eruption has spoken out about losing her badly burnt fingers.

Stephanie Browitt 23, from Melbourne, is still recovering from her injuries after being caught in the volcanic eruption in New Zealand on December 9 last year.

Tragically, her father Paul and sister Krystal, 21, were killed in the disaster. Stephanie's mother Maria didn't join the day trip to the island and instead stayed on the cruise ship where the family had been enjoying a holiday.

Now Stephanie, who was allowed home after six months in hospital, has shared her reaction to doctors deciding to partially amputate her fingers on her Instagram page.

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Funnily enough, when I found out my fingers had to go I wasn't that upset. I think I was grateful that I still had my hands because when the eruption happened, I remember seeing my hands and realising how bad they were. My nails were hanging off, skin in shreds and also peeling off and they were black and red in colour, (blood/ash). So I was grateful it was just my 1st knuckle being amputated. What I didn't realise was, how much that would actually effect my function and fine motor skills. You really don't realise how much your body does for you until you lose the ability to do so. As you can see my L hand has a lot more range, the thumb can open up wider and nearly touch my pinky. My R hand is my bad hand, the fingers can't bend / straighten as much and the thumb can only just make it underneath my other fingers. Future surgeries will happen but I'm getting as much from therapy as I can first. Seeing the progress with my hands definitely makes my day, month and year though! Although it's slow it's such a big deal for me. I saw photos of my hands when I was first admitted to hospital to compare them to now and I can honestly never be more grateful enough towards the surgeons at The Alfred. They put so much care into my hands with my skin grafts and they've healed amazingly. I look forward to seeing more progress and achievements everyday. 🙌🏻 #whiteislanderuption #whiteisland #survivor #progress
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As most of you know, I have finally come home as of the 22nd of May! I had the most memorable send off from rehab and came home to a huge surprise also. Neighbours and friends surrounding my court waiting for me to arrive, it was the most beautiful thing I could've come home to after 6 long, hard and exhausting months. I can honestly never be thankful enough towards every single person that has been there for mum and myself since the beginning of this horrible journey. Through so many tears, pain, sweat, moments of wanting to give up and days where I just wanted to hit something.. the support of everyone around us has been apart of the reason I chose to keep fighting and just push through. Now I'm finally back where I want to be; home, with mum. Unfortunately I wish I had my dad and sister with me also, but I choose to believe they're watching over me and were with me as I arrived home and embraced mum. I miss them all the time and coming home has reopened a lot of those feelings now that I no longer have those daily distractions and now that I can feel their empty presence. But it makes me all the more grateful that mum and I still have each other. 💖 #whiteislanderuption #whiteislandvolcano #whiteisland #survivor

'Funnily enough, when I found out my fingers had to go I wasn’t that upset,' Stephanie explained. 'I was grateful I still had my hands because when the eruption happened I remember seeing my hands and realising how bad they were.

'My nails were hanging off, skin in shreds and also peeling off.’

Stephanie said she was grateful to surgeons at The Alfred in Melbourne for saving her hands. ‘'They put so much care into my hands with my skin grafts... They've healed amazingly.’

She added she would need further surgeries in order to have more use of her remaining fingers.

Stephanie shared her journey on her Instagram page @stephaniecoral96

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So after nearly 6months in hospital and definitely over 6 months since I've seen my fur baby, I finally got approval for Day leave. On my beautiful baby's 1st birthday!!! 🥳🥳 And to say I got the best welcome back hug and cuddles from my dog is honestly an understatement! Mum had to try and stop him from jumping on me so I wouldn't get clawed (she failed miserably and I honestly didn't care lol). God he's gotten amazingly larger since I last saw him as well 😯. But today couldn't have been any better and it felt amazing to be back in my home even if it was just for a day. #furbaby #puppy #dog #collie #birthday
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Yule ball '17 😍
Sarah Firth
Sarah Firth
Sarah Firth is deputy features editor for that’s life! and has written for the Nottingham Post, Chat magazine, that's life! in the UK, Kidspot and The Sun online.

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