Girls with Grafts

In this episode of Girls with Grafts, Rachel sits down with Abby Horton, MS, CCLS, a Certified Child Life Specialist with over a decade of experience supporting children and families through burn injuries and medical trauma. Abby's work spans pediatric burn care, inpatient rehabilitation, and critical care, and she brings that depth of experience to a conversation about one of the challenges f...

When Damon Spring joined his local volunteer fire department, he was answering a call to serve his community. 🚒 During his rookie year, that calling changed his life forever. On August 18, 2018, Damon was caught in a wildfire burnover sparked by a helicopter crash, an event that would come to be known as the Sheep Creek Fire. In this episode, Rachel sits down with Damon to talk about what drew hi...

Heat hits differently when you're a burn survivor—and this week, we're getting into the science behind why. ☀️ Rachel and Amber sit down with Dr. Craig Crandall, Professor of Internal Medicine at UT Southwestern Medical Center and Director of the Thermal and Vascular Physiology Laboratory at Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital Dallas. For over 20 years, Dr. Crandall has been continuously fu...

In this episode of Girls with Grafts, Rachel sits down with Dr. Charles McKenzie and his son, Scott, to talk about burn recovery, family support, and the lasting impact of community.❤️ Scott was just 10 years old when he survived a fuel tank explosion that left him with severe burns and a long recovery, including six weeks at the Arizona Burn Center. Now a 17-year-old high school senior, rugby pla...

This week on Girls with Grafts, Rachel and Amber welcome Phyllida Swift, CEO of Face Equality International, for a special episode celebrating Face Equality Week. 💛 Phyllida shares her journey to becoming a global advocate for face equality and why this work is deeply personal and meaningful to her. Together, they explore what face equality really means—and why it matters for burn survivors and a...

In this episode of Girls with Grafts, Rachel talks with Ariadna Bernal about her journey after a gas explosion left her with burns over 90% of her body. Ariadna describes her early days, starting with treatment in Mexico and then continuing her care at Shriners Hospitals for Children in California. She also shares how important her mom was, always staying by her side through everything. ❤️ Togethe...

This week on Girls with Grafts, Rachel talks with burn survivor Kelsay Parrott about healing that goes beyond the physical and finding purpose in pain. 🩷 Kelsay shares her story of being burned at four years old and how, for many years, she focused on physical recovery without fully addressing the mental and emotional effects of her injury. She explains what it was like to finally start deeper he...

In this special National Volunteer Week episode of Girls with Grafts, we welcome Madeleine Carson, Director of Programs at Burns Recovered and our Volunteer of the Month. We talk about the power of community, connection, and supporting others. 🤝 Madeleine shares how she became involved in the burn survivor community—including a full-circle moment where Amber, who works at United Rentals, became p...

In this special episode, Girls with Grafts joins forces with the H.E.A.L. Changed by Fire Podcast for an important conversation about connection, healing, and the resources that help burn survivors after they leave the hospital. 🏥 Rachel, Lori, and Jen talk about how groups like Phoenix Society and Change by Fire are helping to close the gap between medical recovery and long-term healing. Their g...

In this episode of Girls with Grafts, Rachel talks with Chris Akin, a burn survivor, entrepreneur, and media personality. Together, they discuss resilience, determination, and how to make the most of each day. Chris tells the story of the industrial explosion that caused his burn injury and describes his early days recovering in the hospital and how his determination shaped his recovery. 💪 Rachel...

This week on Girls with Grafts, Amber and Rachel sit down with Ashley Nelson for an honest conversation about identity, confidence, and dating after a burn injury. Ashley shares how she changed her mindset from seeing herself as a “burn victim” to a “burn survivor,” and how this new perspective changed how she views herself. She also talks about her dating experiences, including how she tells her...

In this episode of Girls with Grafts, Rachel talks with burn surgeon and researcher Dr. Cliff Sheckter about how to give survivors better tools and information when they are thinking about reconstructive scar surgery. 🩺 We discuss the Decision Aid for Reconstructive Scar Surgery, a new resource to help survivors decide if surgery is right for them. Dr. Sheckter explains why this tool was made, wh...

This week on Girls with Grafts, Rachel talks with Mikki Rothbauer, a psychotherapist who has spent over twenty years helping burn survivors and their families at Regions Hospital Burn Center. Mikki talks about what she has learned from years of supporting burn survivors, from the first days after injury to long-term healing. 💛 She leads burn support groups and coordinates a hospital-based Phoenix...

In honor of National Burn Awareness Week, Rachel and Amber sit down with burn survivor Shaun Free to talk about survival, healing, and the powerful growth that can come after trauma. Shaun shares the story of the propane explosion that changed his life, his long road through recovery, and how he reframed PTSD into what he calls post-traumatic growth. 💪 From building a propane forge and crafting k...

Season 8 of Girls with Grafts opens with a powerful and timely conversation following the recent Crans-Montana bar fire tragedy. In this special episode, Phoenix Society for Burn Survivors CEO Amy Acton steps into the moderator’s seat, guiding a discussion that centers both the human impact of fire and the need for prevention. Amy is joined by Lorraine Carli, Vice President of Outreach and Advocac...

In the Season 7 finale of Girls with Grafts, Amber and Rachel sit down with physical therapist, burn survivor, and clinic owner Dr. Francisco Padilla for an inspiring full-circle conversation about healing, purpose, and the power of movement. 💛 Francisco begins by sharing the story of his accident and the long road through recovery, including the pivotal role physical therapy played in his healin...

In this episode of Girls with Grafts, Amber and Rachel are joined by 19-year-old burn survivor and aspiring author and speaker, Lovely Bruce. Lovely shares her burn story, her experience growing up as a survivor, and the moments that taught her resilience, faith, and the courage to embrace her scars. 💪 Together, we explore how Lovely found confidence in her identity, the power of speaking with pu...

In our latest episode of Girls with Grafts, we sit down with Dr. Kenny Tello, Corporate Director of Team Member Well-Being at Orlando Health, where he leads initiatives that empower people, elevate leaders, and build cultures rooted in care, connection, and transformation. Together, we dive into the healing world of pet therapy! 🐾 Dr. Tello helps us understand the science behind pet therapy, the...

In this episode of Girls with Grafts, Amber and Rachel are joined by 20-year-old burn survivor and future Occupational Therapist, Ali Moll. Ali shares her story of becoming a burn survivor at just two and a half years old after falling into a campfire and how that moment shaped her journey, identity, and purpose. Together, we explore the powerful impact of her support system growing up, how her ex...

We’re celebrating 100 episodes of Girls with Grafts—and we couldn’t think of a better guest to mark this milestone than our friend and returning guest, Kechi Okwuchi! 🎉 In this special episode, Amber and Rachel look back at how the podcast began, the stories that shaped it, and the incredible community that has grown around it. Then we catch up with Kechi, who brings her warmth, honesty, and humo...

In this powerful episode of Girls with Grafts, Rachel and Amber sit down with Brooke DelGaudio, a nurse practitioner, mom, and childhood burn survivor who’s turned her pain into purpose. 💙 Brooke opens up about growing up as a burn survivor, the invisible scars of childhood trauma, and the ways those experiences continue to shape her adult life. Together, they dive into what it means to live with...

In this episode of Girls with Grafts, Rachel sits down with Emily Hespeler, a burn survivor, storyteller, and certified therapeutic recreation specialist (CTRS). Emily shares how recreation therapy empowers survivors to heal, grow, and reclaim independence after trauma, and how sharing your story can open doors to connection and community. 🧘‍♂️ Together, Emily and Rachel explore what it means to...

It’s Fire Prevention Week! This year’s campaign, Charge into Fire Safety™: Lithium-Ion Batteries in Your Home, raises awareness about safe use, storage, and disposal of the batteries powering our everyday devices. 🔥 Joining us is Brandon Ingram, a seasoned fire protection engineer with Summit Fire Consulting. With 14+ years of experience spanning fire modeling, code consulting, sprinkler design,...

In this heartfelt episode of Girls with Grafts , Rachel is joined by author and advocate Jenny Brandemuehl and Phoenix Society's Senior Director of Programs and Services, Jill Sproul. Jenny shares her deeply personal journey of love, loss, and resilience after the tragic plane crash and burn injury that claimed her husband Mark's life. 💛 Together, they explore the moments that reshaped Je...

In this bonus episode of Girls with Grafts, we welcome John O'Leary — internationally acclaimed speaker, bestselling author, former Phoenix Society board member, and now the inspiration behind the powerful new feature film Soul on Fire. 🎬 John shares his journey from survivor to storyteller, what it was like to see his life translated to the big screen, and the deeper message of Soul on Fire....