Boris Lau was just one when an electric water boiler fell on him.
Now, he's sharing his story in support of the 2022 Hometown Heroes Lottery, hoping others in his situation will be able to see that trauma is not always bad or life-defining.
His parents told him he had somehow pulled the cord of an electric water boiler which caused the cover to pop open and water to spill onto the right side of his face, body and arms.
"Luckily, I was mostly unscathed except for portions of my right arm where I had skin graft surgery for some of it while the other parts grew back naturally," Lau told the NOW.
He would end up spending one month in the hospital during his recovery.
Lau says that he was initially very self-conscious of his scars for "multiple years" and would refuse to swim and always wore long-sleeve shirts.
However, he learned to be confident in his own skin and be comfortable with being unique.
"I have a story that I can share to people to show others that trauma is not only bad. Trauma is certainly a journey filled with ups and downs, but without it, I would not have realized many of the things I know today," he said.
"I have become proud of my scars and love to share to others that my scars do not define me, but is an extra part of me that many people do not have."
A 2006 trip to burn camp helped him realize that there were others like him who had gone through a similar journey.
"When I first arrived, I remember how nice and welcoming all the firefighters, nurses, and volunteers were. I was still a very shy kid and my counsellor Marc, who was a firefighter, stuck with me and my parents throughout the kick-off," Lau explained.
"I remember seeing so many kids with far worse scars than I had running around, laughing and getting absolutely soaked with water. During that week of camp, I got comfortable very quickly with all the other campers and counsellors and had the time of my life. I had realized I was just another kid out there and there were absolutely no worries at all. By the time we all had to leave, I remember crying seeing everyone go."
Lau is currently attending BCIT as a medical radiography student to become an x-ray technologist in hopes of contributing to the community by serving in the health care sector.
Tickets available for Hometown Heroes Lottery
The 2022 Hometown Heroes Lottery is currently selling tickets until midnight July 14, 2022, or until tickets sell out.
Funds raised help support the Vancouver General Hospital (VGH) and UBC Foundation, raising essential funds for specialized adult health services and research at UBC Hospital and VGH, GF Strong Rehab Centre, Vancouver Coastal Health Research Institute and Vancouver Community Health Services.
Tickets also help support burn fund programs, including mental health support for burn survivors, firefighters and the Home Away program that offers accommodations to burn and trauma survivors at the Burn Fund Centre in Vancouver.
"The medical teams at VGH, UBC Hospital and many other health care centres under our umbrella – which support all British Columbians – are empowered to offer world-class health care thanks to the generous support of the Hometown Heroes Lottery,” VGH and UBC Hospital Foundation CEO and president Angela Chapman said in a release.
“Lottery funds go towards purchasing cutting-edge, life-saving medical equipment and technology and puts it in the hands of our specialized health care teams. These funds today help support the future of health care – for all of us.”
The 2022 lottery includes the Hometown Heroes Main Lottery, 50/50 PLUS Lottery and Daily Cash PLUS Game.
To purchase tickets, view prizes or more information, you can visit the hometown heroes lottery website.
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