ART HELPING CATRIN ‘LOVE HER SCARS’
WHEN she was just 19, Catrin Pugh survived a horrific bus crash in France but ended up with severe burns. The bus on which she was travelling crashed into a cliff face in the Alps when she was leaving a ski season and she ended up in a coma for three months and 96% of her body was burnt.
Her mother and brother donated skin from their thighs to help save Catrin and help to heal her burns.
Now, eight years on, Catrin is learning to live with her scars and is even appearing on the BBC series Extraordinary Portraits, which links extraordinary people with incredible artists as they have their portraits painted to celebrate themselves.
Catrin, who is from Wrexham, is taking part in the show as she wants help loving her scars “a little bit more”.
She said: “I’ve learned to see that my scars are quite beautiful but it will be nice to see that through someone else’s eyes as well, just to help with loving them a little bit more.”
Presenter Tinie (formerly known as Tinie Tempah) matched Catrin with artist Kelvin Okafor, who specialises in amazing pencil portraits and Kelvin went to visit Catrin and her family in Wrexham to learn more about Catrin, who posts positive body messages to her Instagram account.
Catrin’s parents were keen for Kelvin to show Catrin’s determination and strength to recover from her life-changing injuries in the portrait.
Her dad Carl said: “I would just like it to bring out the determination as much as anything because I think that’s what brought her and us through all this.”
Taking Kelvin on a countryside walk, Catrin explained how she practised her walking there, after her injuries, and Kelvin took photos of her to use for the portrait, which is being kept under wraps until Catrin’s episode of the programme this weekend.
Taking over 100 hours to complete, the portrait unveiling was emotional for both Catrin and Kelvin. He revealed the portrait to “wows” from Catrin and her family and, becoming emotional, Catrin said: “There was probably a time when I didn’t want to... I’m gonna cry, I didn’t think I would cry at this!
“I didn’t use to like looking at photos of myself... but yeah, it’s just lovely. Sorry, I never cry!... I just need a second,” added Catrin, while Kelvin also began to cry at her reaction.
Catrin added: “Yeah, there was a time when I didn’t like looking at photos of myself because I just never thought I’d like what I looked at but you’ve done a perfect job of countering it. You’ve made me want to look at myself properly.”
Catrin’s episode of Extraordinary Portraits airs today at 6.30pm on BBC One.