A couple since 2001 and sober for four years through a deep spirituality via AA and their church, in 2010 Diana and Jerry would have their secure healthy lives exploded on one surprisingly warm early spring day when a backyard cleanup turned into a fiery tragedy.
Burned over 90% of her body, at fifty-four Diana was given by doctors a less-than-zero percent chance of survival. Worse, they said it was a minus-forty percent chance. And if she did survive, she would never walk again, nor feed herself, and would require 24/7 at-home nursing care.
Jerry sustained 10% burns trying to put out the flames on Diana, mostly the palms of his hands. For that first seesaw year he made it his primary purpose to ensure that no one would give up on Diana -- from the medical professionals to Diana herself, regardless the length and depth of the medically- induced comas, the countless surgeries,
and the deadly infections.
It would be more than 400 days before Diana would return home and walk into that backyard . . . . without the use even of a cane.
Years of further surgeries and extensive physical therapy would follow, as well as a new calling and passion, advocating for burn survivors nationwide.
Scarred physically and traumatized emotionally, Diana and Jerry fought, adjusted, and prevailed, not allowing the adversity to destroy them spiritually.
It is that strength and optimism that they wish to impart to others by sharing their story, in the hope that it will give assurances to catastrophic accident survivors and their families that they too, like Diana and Jerry, can beat odds of minus-forty percent.
