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1017 OCTOBER
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with braids and rollers in her hair,
jurnee
nicholas sat patiently with a towel wrapped around her as her mother worked carefully to style her hair. as her mother began to curl the ends of
jurnee
?s hair by using water that had been heated in the microwave,
jurnee
felt the steam from the water, got scared, and jumped. ?e towel fell from around her, and the hot water landed on her back. ?it immediately blistered. i called my mom to have her come and look at the
burns
, and we thought we would be able to treat her while she was at home. we used ice and neosporin to try and soothe the
burns
, but it just made things worse,? leashal cotton explains the traumatic experience ingrained in her memory. nervous and worried for her daughter, leashal brought
jurnee
to the hospital where she was admitted and stayed for two days. working with baton rouge general?s regional burn center, the doctors diagnosed her
burns
as second-degree
burns
. leashal recalls, ?i remember them having to scrub the
burns
to remove the dead skin, and i just couldn?t take it. i had to wait in the waiting room because it was too much. after, they lanced her
burns
and thankfully, they are barely even noticeable now.? when people ask
jurnee
about her experience, she shares that although it was scary, she feels good now. ?i tell them it doesn?t hurt, but it did, and that i am not ashamed of them. i?m very grateful.?
jurnee
?s road to recovery had full support from her school. while she healed away from class, her classmates got together and each made her a get-well-soon card.
jurnee
was eventually able to return to school, and over the summer, experienced her first trip to
camp
i?m still me where she was able to meet other children who also suffered from
burns
. ??e
camp
is so motivating for these kids. i was nervous about letting her go for the first time because it was the first time she was ever away from me, but it was also the first time she was able to be around other burn victims. when we arrived, i had live / e x c e p t i o n a l l i v e s by amanda miller to take
jurnee
aside. i told her to not judge the other children because some of the kids?
burns
may be more visible than hers. i also told her to not ask too many questions because i didn?t want her to make them uncomfortable,? leashal explains.
jurnee
had a wonderful experience while at
camp
, and has truly embraced her
burns
, something her mother credits to her attending the
camp
. ?
jurnee
will tell you what happened to her. she doesn?t let it affect her in any way.
jurnee
will say, ??is is a part of me,? and she really accepts it. it?s an amazing thing,? she shares.
jurnee
?s experience at
camp
was memorable, and one she wants others to be able to experience as well. leashal recalls a new classmate
jurnee
met this year who also has a burn. ?
jurnee
told him her story and all about how great
camp
i?m still me is. she wants to get the information about the
camp
to him so he can attend as well.? while
jurnee
still gets nervous when she has to get her hair done, she has remained the happy, friendly, and helpful girl she has always been. as her mother says, ?to know
jurnee
is to love
jurnee
.? and, leashal encourages families who are going through similar situations to teach their children to embrace their scars and see them as new beauty marks.
jurnee
adds, ?i like my
burns
. you should be yourself, and don?t be ashamed.? ? despite her scars,
jurnee
continues to smile and be the strong girl she always has been. embracing the scars 4 4 b r p a r e n t s . c o m | o c t o b e r 2 0 1 7
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