16-Year-Old Burn Victim Shows Resilience By Wearing A Dress To Her Prom

18 months ago, Kilee Brookbank lit a candle in her home, not realizing there was a gas leak. The candle ignited into a massive fireball knocking her unconscious until she was woken up by the sounds of her dog barking in distress. Brookbank was rushed to the hospital where she nearly died before undergoing 38 days of painful skin graft treatments. After recovering from her burns, she was left with visible scars over 45 percent of her body on her arms, legs, and back.

After all of the pain she underwent during her recovery, Brookbank emerged a stronger person. She began to embrace her scars as signs of her resilience. So, this year, not only did the 16-year-old survivor decide to attend her prom, she did so in a dress that didn’t hide her scars. “I never really thought that I would want to be in a dress again,” Brookbank told Inside Edition. “I just didn’t think that I’d be comfortable in my own body.”

Brookbank attended the prom with her boyfriend, Dylan. “She’s definitely the most beautiful girl here,” he said. “She’s one of the most beautiful girls I’ve ever seen.” And the dress she wore inspired her friends who were moved by her positive outlook. “With all the scars and stuff on her arms and legs, she just embraces it,” Brookbank’s friend said. “She sees the beauty in everything.” Not only did Brookbank look stunning at her prom, but the student body rewarded her for her bravery by choosing her as prom queen.