This year, I am honored once again to hike the Grand Canyon with the Arizona Burn Foundation to help raise funds so they can continue supporting burn survivors and their families during some of the hardest moments of their lives. I am a burn survivor myself. On August 28, 2022, I was severely injured while standing next to what seemed like a very small fire. I sustained third-degree burns over 38% of my body and required skin grafts over that same percentage. The road to recovery was long, painful, overwhelming and still not completely over. As a single mom with one of my four children still living at home, the challenges were not only physical but financial and emotional as well. I was without income for months, facing uncovered medical expenses, and unsure how I would keep everything together. During a critical time, the Arizona Burn Foundation stepped in and helped my family and me when we needed it most. I will never forget that support. Last year, I attempted this hike with the Arizona Burn Foundation, but just days before the trip I was not medically cleared to complete the full rim-to-rim. I was only allowed to enter the canyon at the South Rim, hike as far as I could, and turn back, while the rest of the team completed the North Rim to South Rim journey. This year, my goal is to return stronger ...physically, mentally, and spiritually and complete the full hike from the North Rim to the South Rim alongside the rest of the crew. I’m doing this not only to prove to myself that I can, but to show other burn survivors that healing does not mean the end of hard things -it means discovering that you are capable of them. Your support helps ensure that future burn survivors and their families receive the same compassion, resources, and hope that carried me through my darkest days. Together, we can help others realize that even after being burned, it is still possible to rise, rebuild, and do incredibly hard things. Thank you for being part of this journey. ???