Woman who burned 40 per cent of her body in petrol station fireball reveals what she looks like six years later

Daily Mail​

6 days ago

An American woman has revealed her miraculous recovery from a horror gas station explosion almost six years ago after the accident led to 40 per cent of her body being covered in third-degree burns.
Abigail Alexander, from Ohio, was just 18 when she and a British friend were caught up in the blast while riding a motorcycle together in Siem Reap, Cambodia.
The young women, who were teaching in the country at the time, were almost killed when a fuel station burst into flames as they made their way to work.
A tanker truck carrying 440 gallons of petrol had ignited while delivering the fuel to a storage tank, injuring 13 people, including Abbey and 22-year-old Zoe Eleftheriou from Medway, Kent.
Shocking pictures showed Abigail's body covered in bandages and severe burns in the aftermath of the explosion in August 2019.
Since then, Abbey, now 23, has been documenting her physical transformation on her social media platforms as well as Reddit 's 'Made Me Smile' channel and recently shared her latest photographs taken nearly six years after the life-altering accident.
'Almost six years post burn!!' she triumphantly captioned her post, which included six photos that showed how far she'd come from 2019, when she was rushed to hospital with potentially life-threatening injuries.
The first snap showed Abbey wrapped up in bandages while trying to walk with the help of a doctor while the second image depicted her lying in a hospital bed while hooked up to an IV pole.
Her hair is cut short and her face - covered with burns - is visible.
Abbey, who has been praised for her positive attitude and sense of humour despite the tragedy, also posted a selfie taken in hospital hat showed her bravely smiling through her treatment.
She posed in a black swimsuit and pair of denim shorts in the fourth photo that showed scarring on her arms and legs as Abbey held up a fish she presumably caught while on holiday.
Abbey included a snap of her firstborn after she and her partner, Austin Michael, welcomed their baby daughter last November.
The sixth and final photo was a selfie that showed Abbey had minimal facial scarring, as her caption read: 'On a Reddit kick tonight and decided to post my yearly update to my favourite subreddit [MadeMeSmile]'.
Her heartwarming post led to a flurry of comments as Reddit users celebrated how far she'd come from the accident in Cambodia in 2019, with one person writing she looked 'amazing'.
'Are you the one that was on a moped in Cambodia and a gas station exploded that you were driving past?! If so omg you look amazing!' their message read.
A critical care nurse with experience treating large surface area burns said: 'We never get to see this.
'When we send patients out of the [Intensive Care Unit], they still look like you did in the first picture.
'We take care of them for months sometimes, then they move onto the next level of care. I almost didn't look at your pictures, but I'm glad it did. It warmed my heart a bit.'
Social media users praised her as an 'absolute legend' and an 'effing warrior' in the comments section, with one person noting: 'Some of the toughest people have never battled what you have and come out the better.'
Speaking to MailOnline in 2023, Abbey reflected on her recovery as she declared 'I didn't only manage to survive, I thrived'.
Recalling the events of August 14, 2019, Abbey said she and her colleague Zoe were 'instantly burned' in the inferno before she was 'ran over by a car'.
The British and American teachers were the only foreigners injured in the blast, which also seriously wounded 11 locals.
Both women's families faced huge medical bills and they had to receive treatment before being able to return home.
Abbey said she knew the road to recovery would be long and difficult after doctors told her nearly half her body was covered in third-degree burns - a prognosis that could be fatal if not treated properly.
Unfortunately, her early recovery in Cambodia did not go as smoothly as might be hoped.
The first clinic she went to put her in ice water, which she says she has since learned worsens burns.
She also claimed medics drilled an IV into her bone without any pain medication. Her injuries were so severe she had to be intubated, she said.
'I spent a long few weeks on the ventilator, I even managed to pull out my breathing tube at one point.
'I struggled with hallucinations and 'false memories' and it took a long time for me to be able to decipher what was real and what was not.'
She said getting home from the southeast Asian country was a trial in itself.
'Getting a medivac plane that could handle flying 23 hours was a challenge in itself but the state department did an amazing job at getting that accomplished.'
She went on to be treated by a team of doctors at the Denver UC health burn unit, who she credited with helping her incredible physical recovery.
But that was only half the story; the accident also dented her self-esteem as Abbey went from being 'an 18-year-old who thought she was invincible to being covered in burns, head shaved, and unable to even go to the bathroom' without assistance - all in the blink of an eye.
Four years later, and with the support of her friends and family, Abbey had transformed into a 'burnt bad b****' with a voracious appetite for life.
She has also continued to use her recovery experience to inspire and help other burn survivors.
'I am now active in the burn survivor community where I try and encourage others with my story,' Abbey said at the time, adding: 'I try to constantly live every day like it could be my last.'
The following year, Abbey - who is originally from Miamisburg, Ohio but has since relocated to Glendive, Montana - said she was engaged to her long-term boyfriend Austin Michael, pregnant and 'happier than ever' in a post on Reddit.
'Almost 5 years post burn! Didn't know how I'd ever live a normal life or be happy again. Now I'm engaged, pregnant, and happier than ever.'