Motorhome blaze survivor now aims to help others
While most people were counting in the New Year and making resolutions for the future, Danielle Branch was lying in a coma in a hospital bed, fighting for her hers.
The 30-year-old from Lenham had been asleep in a motorhome when a fire broke out underneath her bed, leaving her with 85% burns across the whole of her body.
But now, less than a year on from the life-changing ordeal she is preparing to do a skydive to raise money for the charity which helped her rebuild her life.
The blaze, which broke out during a New Year’s Eve gathering in Addington, also left her mother Jan needing a skin graft and step-father Gez Clark, Lenham’s town crier, in hospital with severe burns.
It also claimed the life of their cockapoo Layla. An investigation into the cause of the blaze at the time proved inconclusive.
The mobile homes had arrived in the car park of the village hall as part of a touring club which met there every New Year’s Eve.
Miss Branch, of Tithe Yard, said: “I still have nightmares about that day. I woke up to the smell of gas and didn’t realise straight away that I was on fire.
“I was placed in a coma for over a month and nearly didn’t make it. I thought that was it. My life over. My looks had gone and I didn’t want to be here anymore.”
But that started to change after a visit from high-profile burns survivor and charity boss, Katie Piper.
Speaking to the model, who had sulphuric acid thrown in her face in 2008, helped Danielle come to terms with what had happened to her. She was also invited to meet other survivors at an event funded by the Katie Piper Foundation.
Miss Branch added: “Everyone was from different walks of life but with such positive attitudes and all burn survivors like myself. That weekend helped me and gave me hope and put the fight back in me to carry on. I now want to raise money to help them hold these events so other burn survivors can benefit from it like I did.”
She will be doing the jump over Headcorn on Sunday, October 16. To donate visit tinyurl. com/KMbranch