A survivor of the Whakaari/White Island eruption has publicly removed her facial compression bandage for the first time in two-and-a-half years.
Australian Stephanie Browitt spent six months in hospital following the deadly eruption of Whakaari/White Island on in December 2019 - suffering burns to more than 70% of her body. Her sister and father were among the 22 people killed.
On Sunday, Browitt appeared on Australia's 60 Minutes, detailing how the event impacted her life. She also removed her facial bandage for the first time.
“It’s been a long time – it’s felt like forever, and as though this day would never come,” she said.
She said it was an emotional, scary and daunting moment.
Looking in the mirror afterwards, Browitt took a long moment to pause.
“I see a person who has gone through so much more than I ever expected to go through in life,” she told 60 Minutes.
“I see a very tormented person.
“As much as this in exciting, it’s been a long, hard journey to get here. And I definitely think I’m tougher than I ever thought I would be."
"A volcanic eruption that lasted mere minutes ripped my family in half, left my mother paralysed by shock, and me completely disfigured, disabled and scarred for life," she told Nine News.
READ MORE: A look back: The first 48 hours after Whakaari/White Island erupted
"Throughout my long and challenging road of recovery emotionally, physically and mentally, the love and support from the community far and wide has been felt by both myself and my loving and devoted mum.
"In our darkest moments of grief, people came together to help us honour my sister and my heroic dad.
"It is for that reason I choose to share such a scary and vulnerable, yet special, moment with everyone and why I continue to share my story," she said.
Whakaari/White Island erupted at 2.11pm on Monday December 9, 2019.
Two tour groups totalling 47 people - visitors and guides - from the US, the UK, Malaysia, Germany, China and New Zealand were on the island at the time.
The risk of eruption was raised to Level 2 from the 18th of November 2019, when GNS raised the alert level and issued alert bulletins.
In total, 13 organisations and individuals were charged with failing in their duty to ensure the safety of tourists on Whakaari/White Island between April 4, 2016 and December 10, 2019.
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