Woman who lost dad and sister in volcano eruption marks day family was ‘ripped apart’ – World News
Stephanie Browitt, 25, survived with third-degree burns but lost her sister Krystal, 21, and dad Paul. She has marked her ‘burnversary’ by reflecting on the day her family was ‘ripped apart’
Stephanie Browitt suffered burns to 70 per cent of her body
A burn survivor who lost her sister and father to a volcano eruption has marked her “burnversary” by reflecting on the day her family were “ripped apart”.
Stephanie Browitt, 25, was with her sister Krystal, 21, and dad Paul, when a volcano erupted on the coast of Whakatane on New Zealand’s North Island on December 9, 2019.
Stephanie survived with third-degree burns to 70 per cent of her body but her sister and Paul were killed along with 20 other people on the island at the time.
Her mother Marie had stayed behind on the Ovation of the Seas cruise ship and watched on helplessly as tragedy struck.
Stephanie, who now wears a protective face mask, posted photos of her family on Thursday to mark the occasion.
Ms Browitt now wears a protective face mask
She wrote: “Today marks two years since the incident my family and I were a part of. The day that ripped us apart.
“For a lot of burn survivors they call it their “burnversary”, a day where they can celebrate their achievements, accomplishments and the fact that they survived such awful tragedy’s on this very date.
“I truly want to celebrate all that I have accomplished since I was severely burnt, just like other burn survivors do.
She has become an advocate for burns survivors since the incident
“Unfortunately today’s not only the day I survived the unimaginable, it’s the day I lost my dad, Paul and sister, Krystal. It’s the day that they were taken from us.”
Stephanie, who has become an advocate for burns survivors since the incident, said her accomplishments “mean nothing” when she cannot share them with her lost loved ones.
She continued: “Everyday I question why we couldn’t have gone through this extremely hard journey together, why they couldn’t be here also.
On Thursday, Ms Browitt posted photos of her family to mark the day which “ripped us apart”.
“I’m extremely grateful that I was able to make it back home to my mum, but I’m also heartbroken that only I made it back. We are a family of four, not two.
“My heart hurts when I remember what I felt that day, but it hurts more not knowing what my dad and sister felt, that I wasn’t next to them during their last moments.”
She described the past two years as a period of “loss, pain and never ending grief” and said she missed her dad and sister every day “so much it kills me”.
The volcano erupted on the coast of Whakatane on New Zealand’s North Island on December 9, 2019
In November 2020, New Zealand’s workplace safety watchdog charged 13 parties – including tour operators and the island’s owners – with failings.
All defendants have pleaded not guilty but they could be liable for millions of dollars in fines.
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