Beautiful Scars: A Life Redefined

By Kilee Brookbank, Lori Highlander and Jessica Noll

"Kilee’s spirit shines through her every word. Beautiful Scars is a down-to-earth primer on how to let our hearts define us, not our scars."- J.R. Martinez, Actor, U.S. Army veteran, bestselling author, and burn survivor

A moment can change everything…

Kilee Brookbank was a typical sixteen-year-old, but her last ordinary day erupted in an explosion that consumed her house, burning forty-five percent of her body and sending her to the brink of death. After thirty-eight days of surgeries, skin grafts, physical therapy, and excruciating pain, Kilee had to discover how to live again. With unwavering support from her mom, Lori, and the rest of her family, Kilee faced her journey with determination, strength, and a positive attitude that inspired not only her community, but people around the world.

Told together by Kilee and Lori, Beautiful Scars is a story of recovery, healing, and hope, reminding us all that we’re never powerless, never alone, and that each challenge we face helps make us the people we are meant to be.

Now a thriving college student, Kilee has become an author, advocate, and philanthropist focused on helping other young burn survivors and their families. She has met with individual survivors and their parents and spoken to school groups, burn camps and civic organizations across the country. Her charity, the Kilee Gives Back Foundation, has raised more than $170,000 for Shriners Hospitals for Children-Cincinnati, and Kilee has partnered with Shriners Hospitals to promote its national Be Burn Aware campaign.

… It’s what you do with each moment that defines you.

"Beautiful Scars is a reminder that we don’t always get to choose the path we walk in life, but we can always choose the manner in which we walk it."- John O’Leary, bestselling author of ON FIRE: The 7 Choices to Ignite a Radically Inspired Life and inspirational speaker

A portion of the proceeds from sales of Beautiful Scars: A Life Redefined will benefit Shriners Hospitals for Children-Cincinnati.

• Language: English
• Publisher: KiCam Projects
• Release date: Nov 14, 2017
• ISBN: 9780998521657

Kilee Brookbank

Kilee Brookbank is a college student, shoe fanatic, animal lover, and burn survivor. Severely injured when a gas leak caused her house to explode, she was hospitalized for thirty-eight days before returning home to a life of new challenges. Responding to those challenges with a strength and determination that inspires everyone she meets, she formed the Kilee Gives Back Foundation, a nonprofit that supports Shriners Hospitals for Children-Cincinnati.

Reviews for Beautiful Scars

[wearylibrarian · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Kilee was a typical teenager when she entered her home one day and smelled a funny smell. She lit a candle to get rid of the smell and moments later her home exploded. The story takes you through her recovery, as written by her and her mother. I became interested in this story because Kilee lived not far from my home. My friends daughter, Jessica Noll, reported on the explosion and contacted the family for an interview. While the family avoided reporters and refused interviews, they allowed Jessica to interview them.