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Dionne Debonaire Bradford
"My name is Dionne Debonaire Bradford now I don’t know the full story about my accident but this is what I was told...I was about 1 1/2 years old when I was placed in a tub of scrolling hot water while in a foster home over in Jersey. I as well as other children were left under the supervision of a young teenage girl about the age of 16. It was bath time and I made a bowel movement on myself and without testing the water she placed me in the tub with my diaper still attached (I now have a permanent bikini line), I was flown to Saint Christopher’s Hospital for children where I laid in a coma induced state for 3 months; the doctors said I had a slim to none chance of survival. I had suffered 3rd degree burns to 50% of my body (from my stomach down to my toes). I had to undergo numerous amounts of skin graft surgeries. Due to my serve medical condition I was bounced from foster home to foster home until about the age of 5 where I was adopted into a home that would tend to all of my medical needs. It wasn’t until the 5th grade where I had to undergo another surgery. The surgery took place at Saint Christopher’s hospital for children. I had to get surgery on my left foot due to the fact that my skin had grown to it’s stretching point and had been causing walking complications. Some time after the healing point of the surgery the doctors had to pull the metal pins and staples that were left in my foot to control the growth of my new skin and healing of the bones in my my toes out. I remember the day like it was yesterday because that was a pain I never wanted to feel again in life. The doctors made a mistake that day, while pulling the pins out they had broken a few in my foot and left behind some staples, which caused me walking complications for the rest of my life, which included having to go through physical therapy to learn how to walk and bend my toes all over again. To this day I can’t walk in heels too long, wear certain sneakers/shoes nor can I bend the toes on my left foot pass a certain extent. I don’t know why God chose me to fight this battle but I thank him everyday for having my name on the wake up list everyday. Now don’t get me wrong everyday is not a good day but I manage to get through them with a smile on my face and love in my heart because I know that he has a purpose for my life and he hasn’t brought me this far to leave me."
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