From Hopeless to Hopeful: The Powerful Healing of Support

DeAnne Gulick didn't have a detailed plan on the evening of October 3, 2015—but she did know she was planning to give up her life. Feeling the stress and pressure of caring for her parents, both of whom were sick with cancer, and struggling to manage her own mental health illnesses, DeAnne was giving up.

She headed to the store to drink herself away and, while checking out, grabbed a lighter from the cashier. DeAnne recalls that she was going through a nervous breakdown and didn't know why she was doing what she was doing.

After a failed attempt to overdose, she started a fire, and once her garage was engulfed in flames, DeAnne snapped out of her disassociation mindset. She doesn't remember much from that moment, but she knew her only way out of the fire was to jump through the blaze, stop, drop, roll, and get help from her neighbor.

DeAnne suffered burns on over half of her body and spent the next three months in the ICU and rehabilitation before coming home. During her hospital stay, she is thankful that her mother, aunt, and counselor visited often and provided much-needed love and support.

However, the challenges still remained even once DeAnne was at home. It was very difficult for her to talk about her self-inflicted burn injury. Her counselor kept trying, but after the loss of her mother in 2017 and her father in 2020, DeAnne was barely speaking. From the heartbreak of losing two parents to the PTSD she was struggling with after her injury, DeAnne didn't see a way forward.

Over time, she was making small steps in talking more and began attending a National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) support group, but she was still seeking more. That all changed when her counselor found Phoenix Society for Burn Survivors.

Since her injury was self-inflicted, DeAnne was not sure if she would be accepted into our community - but that didn't stop her from trying. She connected with Liliana Palacios, Phoenix Society's Community Resource Specialist, and instantly felt a sense of hope and community.

Eight years after her injury, DeAnne finally opened up about what happened. She attended her first Phoenix Society virtual support group in 2023, and that's when things finally changed.

Once feeling helpless, DeAnne now feels hopeful. Her biggest advice for other survivors is to never give up hope and not be afraid to ask for help.

DeAnne's story powerfully demonstrates how shared experiences and community connection are vital to healing. Each of us—whether peer supporters, volunteers, or donors—can play a pivotal role in ensuring that no survivor has to heal alone.