Our Story

Victoria, the founder of the organization, incurred third degree burns over 20% of her body when she was nine-years-old. After struggling with the impact of this injury for almost two decades, she joined a virtual peer support group during the pandemic. Communing with others with shared lived experiences was life changing for her! 

After realizing that there was an absence of a local community with whom she (and other survivors) could connect, Victoria started Life After Burns. Through her communications with other burn survivors and their families, burn units, and emergency response workers, she also realized that burn survivors are extremely underserved: they lack support and resources after being discharged from the hospital despite having a lifelong condition. Thus, the organization expanded to encompass advocacy work and ensuring survivors have access to necessary services.   

Over time, Victoria’s efforts, sustained by dedicated volunteers, established a flourishing burn community in Ontario. Life After Burns is for others what Victoria wishes she and her family would have had when they left the hospital: a supportive community that burn trauma and secondhand burn trauma survivors can rely on.  

Today, Victoria realizes that Life After Burns was the missing piece in her life. She is currently serving as the chair of Life After Burns, and is a vital board member of the Canadian Burn Survivors Community acting as their communications committee lead. Victoria is also a public speaker who strongly advocates for peer support.