Girl severely injured in horrific fire says the incident ‘RESTORED her faith in humanity’
A SELF-CONFESSED “vain girl” who took pride in her curvy figure and long locks, suffered third degree burns to 85 per cent of her body after being ravaged in a New Year’s Eve inferno.
Danielle reveals she was a "vain girl" before the incident
But, in an extraordinary twist, Danielle Branch says she is now glad the horrific fire - the cause of which has never been established - happened, because it’s “restored her faith in humanity”.
And she credits a personal visit from Katie Piper, an acid attack survivor, with helping her come to terms with her new life.
Speaking about her ordeal for the first time, Danielle, 30, of Maidstone, Kent, revealed how her stepdad, private hire taxi driver, Jez Clark, 56, was blown out of their caravan by the blaze, just hours before the clocks struck midnight.
She and her mum, housewife Janet Clark, 53, managed to clamber out of the burning vehicle - despite the soles of Danielle’s feet being scorched off.
A visit by Katie Piper helped Danielle come to terms with her new life
As revellers across the UK sang Auld Lang Syne to welcome in 2016, Danielle, who was a sales account manager before the accident but now does not work, lay prone and unconscious in a hospital bed.
Doctors at London’s Royal Chelsea and Westminster Hospital, where was airlifted by Kent Air Ambulance, put her in an induced coma, in a bid to save her life.
It was a far cry from the New Year’s Eve she’d planned with the caravan club she’d been a member of since the age of nine.
When she finally saw her face for the first time in mid-March, she was horrified.
Danielle spent New Year's Eve 2016 unconscious in hospital
She said: “I didn’t realise how badly I was burnt, I thought the scars would fade.
“When I looked in the mirror for the first time I was horrified - it was worse than I imagined.”
But Danielle’s attitude changed after joining acid attack survivor Katie Piper’s foundation and speaking to other burns victims.”
She said: “It restored my faith in humanity.
Danielle fells lucky she was able to survive the horrific incident
“I realised how lucky I was to survive and have all of my fingers and toes.
“So many people judge a book by its cover.
“I used to reply on my looks, now I’m just thankful that I’m a decent person.”
This comes after a woman dropped five dress sizes in less than a year by using the power of her mind.