Ariadna's Path from Pain to Purpose

Seven years ago, Ariadna's world changed forever. When she was just 14 years old, her home in Mexico exploded due to a gas buildup, leaving her with burns over 90% of her body.

Today, Ariadna is a thriving college student studying psychology, a trained Spanish Phoenix SOAR (Survivors Offering Assistance in Recovery) Peer Supporter, and a passionate volunteer for Phoenix Society's Spanish Peer Support Chat. Her resilience and compassion help others navigate their own healing journeys.

A Life Changed in a Moment

"I was just trying to cook. I didn't know there was a gas leak."

When Ariadna turned on the stove, her house exploded. Her memory of those moments is vivid—she remembers the sound, the heat, the sensation of her skin, and her fear. As family and neighbors stood still in shock, her grandmother hurried to her side and called for help. Ariadna was rushed to a local hospital in Mexico, where she overheard someone say she was unlikely to survive.

She was quickly transferred to Shriners Children's Northern California in Sacramento, where she spent three months in a medically induced coma. When she finally woke, she realized the severity of her injury: second and third-degree burns across her body, the loss of one leg, and months of surgeries, dressing changes, and physical therapy still ahead of her.

The Long Road to Healing

During Ariadna’s five months in the ICU, she experienced anxiety, depression, and waves of guilt and anger. "At one point, I blamed my mom for signing the papers for my amputation. But she told me, 'I'd rather have you alive than gone.' That helped me start to accept everything."

Just before Christmas, she returned home to Mexico and confronted another emotional milestone. Her family, who had seen her pain from afar, finally faced the reality of her injuries. "They were strong for me, even when I felt so broken."

Along with physical pain, Ariadna struggled with her emotional healing, especially the fear of being rejected by her peers. "I was bullied before my injury, and now I had no hair, I'd lost a leg. How would people treat me?"

But with time, therapy, and support from loved ones, Ariadna began to see life differently. "I realized the pain and itching weren't going to disappear overnight. I had to decide: do I stay in that place, or do I try to live the best life I can?"

Finding Meaning Through Peer Support

Ariadna's turning point came when a social worker at Shriners Children's introduced her to Phoenix Society for Burn Survivors. Three years after her injury, while still traveling between Sacramento and Mexico for treatments, she was invited to be trained as a Phoenix SOAR Peer Supporter.

Now, as a trained Spanish SOAR Peer Supporter and active participant in Phoenix Society's Spanish Facebook Group, Ariadna provides connection and comfort to others. She listens without judgment, validates the emotions of survivors and their loved ones, and encourages them to take it one day at a time.

"I tell them all feelings are valid. You're allowed to be angry. You're allowed to be scared. But healing takes patience and time."

As a peer supporter, Ariadna provides community for those in isolation and hope for those feeling hopeless. Her family and friends helped her tremendously throughout her healing journey, and she wants to provide that same connection for others.

"Not everyone has support from family and friends. That's why this community is so important."

Turning Pain into Purpose

Ariadna's burn injury inspired her to pursue a career in psychology, with a focus on clinical care. She dreams of one day working at Shriners Children's to support kids and teens who, like her, are navigating life after a burn injury. She wants to help treat the invisible wounds left from a burn injury.

"Burns leave physical scars, but the emotional and mental scars are just as real. A psychologist helped me when I needed it most. Now I want to be that person for someone else."

In every message she sends through the Spanish Peer Support Chat, every conversation she has with a fellow survivor, and every step she takes toward her dream career, Ariadna shows other survivors what's possible. Her story is one of strength and the impact of shared lived experience.