A young woman who survived the White Island volcano disaster has gained TikTok fame after bravely sharing details about the traumatic experience and her ongoing recovery.
Stephanie Browitt, 25, was touring the island with her sister Krystal, 21, and their father Paul when the volcano erupted off the coast of Whakatane in New Zealand on December 9, 2019.
The 25-year-old survived with third-degree burns to 70 per cent of her body and lost parts of her fingers, but her father and sister were among the 22 people killed.
Ms Browitt’s mother Marie was the only member of the family to stay on the Ovation of the Seas cruise ship when the tragedy struck.
Stephanie Browitt, 25, (pictured before tragedy struck) was touring the island with her sister Krystal, 21, and their father Paul when the volcano erupted off the coast of Whakatane in New Zealand on December 9, 2019
The 25-year-old has since amassed a huge TikTok following after sharing details about her lengthy recovery
Since the terrifying ordeal Ms Browitt has been a beacon of strength, candidly sharing details on social media about her lengthy recovery process.
She’s gained a huge following on TikTok through sharing her story with more than 14million likes and a massive fan base.
In a series of videos shared to the social media platform she answered some of the most common questions she is often asked about her burns.
The young woman reveals how she has to wear compression garments head-to-toe for 23 hours a day for two years to help her burns heal, admitting the pieces of clothing are ‘very tight and very uncomfortable’.
In one TikTok she’s seen showing her 638,000 followers the colour of her hand before she pulls up the compression garment to cut off her circulation – to demonstrate just how skin-tight they are.
The young woman has to wear compression garments head-to-toe for 23 hours a day for two years, admitting the pieces of clothing are ‘very tight and very uncomfortable’
Ms Browitt suffered third degree burns to 70 per cent of her body from the volcano eruption
‘My hand usually sits around this colour, a light reddish and purple colour,’ she says in the video.
She then folds the garment slightly backwards onto her wrist, which turns her whole hand and lower arm into a deep purple colour.
‘That’s how tight the garments are, they are very uncomfortable,’ she explains.
In another video the survivor fires off answers to various questions from fans and reveals she still has hair underneath the garments on her head, she’s no longer in pain and that sadly her scars will never fully heal.
Ms Browitt has also shared videos of herself making light of the situation including in one TikTok where she shows off her stomach that had to have part of it removed due to severe burns.
In one TikTok she’s seen showing her 638,000 followers the colour of her hand before she pulls up the compression garment to cut off her circulation – to demonstrate just how skin tight they are
She jokes that she doesn’t mind because now it makes it look as if she has ‘abs’.
She also films herself demonstrating how she shaves her legs before tossing out her razor and revealing she no longer has any hair to get rid of.
The survivor also shares photos of her appearance before the eruption with thousands of supporters praising her for her bravery.
In one video, Ms Browitt shockingly reveals that cruel trolls had been tagging her in videos of volcanoes erupting.
‘Why someone would do that I really don’t know but all I do know is there are definitely no good intentions when doing that,’ she says.
Marie Browitt (left with her family) was the only member of the family to stay on the Ovation of the Seas cruise ship when the tragedy struck
Stephanie is seen with her sister Krystal. Tragically Krystal was killed in the blast on December 9, 2019
‘Everyone who has done that has been blocked instantaneously and the fact some people are doing this as a joke is really concerning.’
Back in February this year, Ms Browitt revealed she suffered terrible PTSD after Melbourne’s Australia Day celebrations.
‘Last Tuesday was a horrid day for both mum and myself. Unfortunately we weren’t warned of or knew of the 21 cannon salute to commemorate Australia Day,’ she said.
‘The loud noises and strong smoke set off my PTSD and I was left crying as past memories flooded my mind.’
Back in February this year, Ms Browitt revealed she suffered terrible PTSD after Melbourne’s Australia Day celebrations
The commotion left her shaking in fear as she held onto her mum for protection.
‘It took me awhile for me to ground myself back in reality and realise I was completely safe’, she said.
Despite thinking she didn’t have the symptoms of PTSD, Stephanie said the most surprising things set her off.
‘It’s a huge reminder that even though I believe I’m ok, I still have a lot of mental and emotional trauma to work through and that’s okay.’
The Whakaari volcanic eruption claimed the lives of 22 people including 14 Australians in December 2019.
The blast happened as tours to White Island were taking place and despite warnings of a risk of eruption.