Sometimes we hear people’s stories and they stick with us forever, stories that touch us so much that we will never forget them. This is such a story. And I think we can all learn something from it.
Four year old John Quinn from Tennessee was like any young boy. He was happy, adventurous and full of energy. But one day something happened that would change his life forever.
John was playing with the family’s pet pitbull-daschund Max in the garden shed when the dog knocked over a lit candle. In just a few seconds, the whole room was filled with flames.
John’s big sister heard his screams and managed to pull him out of the fire. But he was already horrifically injured.
Hi sister suffered 25 percent burns but John had 95 percent burns all over his body. His sister Leah had saved his life but John had to be put into an induced coma for two months and spent the whole year in a specialist burns unit.
He had to endure 87 operations and as the years went by he began to stop caring about his body, suffering with anorexia.
He couldn’t go anywhere without people staring at him. When he became a teenager he had to endure bullying and cruel name calling.
He began questioning his existence after the horrific injuries he endured.
“Why did I even survive? Why didn’t I just die in the fire? I questioned that all the time,” he said, according to an article in The Sun newspaper.
Things changed for John when he and his sister Leah started attending camps held by the Burned Children Recovery Foundation in Washington State.
He is also works with the Courageous Faces Foundation, which helps bring awareness and education to the general public about seeing everyone as a person first and to celebrate their gifts and attributes.
Though he wouldn’t wish his experience on anyone, he believes that what he’s endured has profoundly shaped him into a more compassionate and empathetic person. His struggles have deepened his understanding of others’ pain, and he now channels that empathy into helping those in need.
Today, he does all he can to help raise awareness of burn victims or burn thrivers, as he refers to himself.
This brave now 25-year-old also does bodybuilding which has helped him to fight anorexia. Despite the many setbacks he’s faced, he’s been living life to the fullest every day since.
He is filled with ambitions and hopes for the future and is working on becoming an actor, a great artist and “going to college and maybe studying psychology to learn about emotions and how to best help others.”
Take a look at the video below to learn about this inspirational young man.
I am incredibly happy that he is no longer struggling and today can help others who have endured similar experiences.
Most of us cannot begin to imagine the physical and mental pain this man has endured. To come out of all this with the mindset that he has is so very admirable.
Share the article with your friends and family so they can discover this man’s story. We can all learn something from his story!
