Our Daughter
Calais was blessed with beauty, charm, and talent; allowing her to perform in theater, act, and model. Calais was looking forward to the plans she had set in place for the summer of 2006. She was on her way to model in New York. Besides being excited about the opportunity, she was thrilled about earning money for college.
The Tragedy
On January 23, 2006, Calais was burned during a chemistry class demonstration. In an instant, tragedy changed her life and dreams forever. The resulting explosion left Calais burned over 48% of her body. She spent 70 days at a Burn Center fighting for her life. Death was an ever present possibility.
What Followed
was a year and a half of pain therapy, stares from strangers, disappointment in lost friendships, not being able to enjoy the activities that are common for teenagers, and pressure to catch up on the missed school work. These overwhelming challenges caused a depression that neither the psychologists nor our family were able to overcome. As time passed, we were living a nightmare with no good end in sight. In 2007, Calais graduated from High School and enrolled in college for the fall semester. We became very concerned that she would not be able to cope with campus life, thus losing her dream to become a doctor.
The Invitation
Nancy Ogden West, a corrective cosmetic specialist who volunteers for Angel Faces, met Calais at a local burn support group. Nancy recognized the emotional difficulties Calais was having due to the trauma and she invited Calais to attend an Angel Faces retreat. Calais turned down the invitation repeatedly. Thanks to Nancy's persistence, Calais finally accepted and arrangements were set in place.
The Outcome - Our Miracle
The Angel Faces retreat is a safe environment where the girls learn about themselves and how to deal with the challenges of being different. We didn't know what outcome to expect regarding our daughter's emotional being. At the close of the retreat, Calais's call was one of the happiest days since the explosion. Calais was happy beyond words. She had found happiness not only in her surroundings but most of all, in herself. Calais was now able to be in a crowd and not be affected by the stares. She felt that, given time, a full and productive life with a family of her own was in her future. She believes that this injury will not keep her away from her dreams. She is now able to take on challenges that she would have undertaken prior to, but not since, the explosion. It was as if 'Angel Faces' had turned the clock back and gave us back our daughter. That was just 10 months ago.
Calais is currently a second semester student at Wellesley College and doing very well academically. She is a member of the School Senate and of all things, the Dorm Fire Marshall. She attends many social and academic events. Last year, Calais added to her scuba certification, with an "advanced" open water certification. This summer, she will volunteer with 'Angel Faces', at her own expense, to give the same hope to other girls and give back what only burn survivors can fully understand. Today, Calais is a survivor.
A Message From Us
We can not say enough about 'Angel Faces' nor say thank you enough to Lesia Cartelli and all of the volunteers for doing, for our daughter, what all of the doctors and psychologists could not do. You gave us our daughter back !
Thank you - we are a family again with dreams,
Larry and Valarie Weber
