This story is proof of two important things: that we should appreciate what we have and that we should never give up.
Dana Vulin’s whole life was completely turned upside when she was the victim of a horrible crime on New Year’s Eve some years back.
Dana, from Perth, Australia, was in a club talking to a man. It didn’t seem like a big deal, but the fact that she was talking to him made a certain woman furious. She vowed to destroy Dana’s “pretty little face” and later set Dana on fire.
The results were devastating. Dana sustained third degree burns on 64 percent of her body.
But this awful story also has a powerful message that proves that you can’t keep a powerful person down.
Please note: some images in this story may be disturbing for some readers to view.
After Dana Vulin suffered severe burns and her life fell apart, she refused to let it keep her down. She underwent several surgeries and endured an extremely tough rehabilitation process. But she kept fighting and always retained her dignity.
During her recovery, Dana always wore a mask. Then after undergoing several skin transplants, Dana was finally able to take it off and reveal her new face to the world.
Dana chose to do it on TV, where she could document her journey toward having a normal life again. In an interview with Australian Channel Seven Sunday Night, Dana said, “I hope they see the scars. This is a part of me now.”
Isn’t that amazing? Dana’s determination is incredibly inspiring. What a strong woman!
The woman who attacked Dana turned out to be the wife of the man Dana talked on New Year’s Eve. Here’s Dana before the assault:
The jealous woman couldn’t stand the thought of Dana talking to her husband, so she sought revenge. She harassed Dana with threatening phone calls and told Dana, “I’m gonna destroy your beautiful little face.”
Then the woman, Natalie Dimitrovska, broke into Dana’s apartment. She was high on drugs, she threw ethanol at Dana and lit her on fire. Dana could hear Natalie laughing as she ran out of the apartment.
Dana suffered third degree burns on 64 percent of her body. She was so badly burnt that her own mother couldn’t recognize her after the assault.
Dana admitted that her life mostly circled around her looks before she was assaulted. But during her rehabilitation process, she wore a mask and realized that there are other things of value in life.
During the court case, Dana wore a mask and the woman who assaulted Dana was sentenced to 17 years in prison.
While Dana was struggling to recover from the horrible attack, she was handed some painful news. Her doctor told her that she had cervical cancer. But again, Dana refused to surrender. She underwent surgery to remove the cancer and later was declared cancer-free.
But wearing the mask weighed on her. “It made me feel like a faceless person. That’s the best way to describe it.”
After two years of daily struggles, Dana had her first television interview. Her strength touched the heart of many viewers.
”It would have been easier to surrender and die, but I’ve never taken easy paths… if anyone would ask me how I feel about my body today? Then I would answer that I’m extremely proud.”
Dana thought her story might inspire others to find joy and hope during hard times. That’s why she decided to reveal her new look in the show.
When she removed the mask and showed her new face to the world, Dana asked viewers not to focus on her look.
”I hope that they see a woman with strength, power, self-confidence, self-respect, courage, and determination.”
We can only nod yes. What a fighter!
Dana says that the attack helped her to find her true self.
“I’m a strong person and something I’ve really learned from this is that I’ll never change. I know the true me.”
Listen to Dana tell her amazing story here:
[arve url=”https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=joYi-h7BuS4″ /]
Dana is living proof that it’s possible to heal both on the inside and outside! It’s so strong of her to talk about this in public.
Isn’t Dana an amazing woman? Please share her heartbreaking yet inspiring story with your friends on Facebook.
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