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Michigan's Insurance Company
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America & Me Essay Contest
My Beacon A trowel in hand and the sun beating against her neck, my hero is most comfortable in jeans and a sweatshirt. She'd rather be alone in her garden, knee-deep in dirt, than under the spotlight. Though she's a remarkable woman, my hero is infinitely too humble to admit it herself. Early on July 1, 1981, eighteen-year-old Amy Reed was working at the Holland Yacht Club, helping move sailboats on trailers. She was joking, laughing, and worrying about college in the fall. Suddenly, the mast of the boat collided with a power line, sending thousands of volts through the craft and into her and another man. During the chaos that followed, the man was killed instantly, but a bystander had the quickness of mind to pry Amy off the vessel using a board. EMTs worked feverishly to stop the bleeding and keep Amy breathing as she was rushed to the hospital. She stayed at Blodgett Burn Center for almost three months and suffered through several surgeries. She endured third and fourth degree burns over 20% of her body, lost a thumb, and a portion of her neck. One of the large arteries that fed her brain was severed and the doctors' foremost concern was of brain damage. That fear was dispelled when it became obvious that Amy was as bright as ever. Amy's plans to attend college in the fall were put on hiatus, but not cancelled. She took classes at Hope College, and a year later, went to Valparaiso University, where she got her Bachelor's Degree in nursing. Almost as soon as she graduated, Amy's love for helping others began. Amy began her career as a burn nurse at the hospital where she was previously treated. She worked her way to becoming nurse manager, and later joined the Phoenix Society, which is the only national organization that helps burn survivors. Amy is the executive director, but, at the conferences and meetings where she delivers several speeches a year, she rarely introduces herself as such. To Amy, her title doesn't matter, as long as she is helping survivors in their journey to overcome their injuries and move forward with their lives. Amy Reed Acton is a beacon for burn survivors who believe that it will be impossible to wear shorts in public, experience a normal life, and deal with the callous questions about their scars. She doesn't allow herself to dwell on others' opinions, and believes that nobody should. She has taken what could have been her downfall, and turned it into her passion. Amy has done many incredible things in her lifetime, and helped a myriad of people. I don't think of Amy as a burn survivor, but as a strong, compassionate woman. She has taught me that we can be beautiful on the inside, even if some of us are scarred on the outside. I am honored to be her daughter.
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