Chinonye was 14-years-old when she suffered a horrific accident. Agreeing to help her sister prepare the family meal, Chinonye was checking on a pot of stew when she suffered an epileptic seizure and fell face first into the fire. The pots scalding contents tumbled onto her head.

Chinonye’s beautiful face was burned beyond recognition. Her eyes, nose, lips, and right ear melted away. Her hair went up in flames, and her scalp was scalded. Much of her right hand was disfigured, along with her neck and chest. She also suffered the complete loss of her vision.

Her family took her to a local Nigerian hospital, where she was treated for nearly a year. It was a Nigerian-born American, Jacinta Aniagolu-Johnson, who was home for her sister's wedding that discovered Chinonye during a hospital prayer visitation with a pastor’s wife. Jacinta worked to bring Chinonye and her mother, Helen, to the U.S. for the treatment of her burns.

In September 2005, Chinonye arrived in Boston to receive state-of-the-art reconstructive surgery at Shriner’s Hospital. For six months Chinonye and her mother lived with a host family while Chinonye underwent several surgeries.

When the host family became unable to house Chinonye and her mother the Children’s Burn Foundation stepped in and identified a temporary host family who was able to house Chinonye and her mother and help them find an apartment. The apartment that was found is located in the same school district where Chinonye has been attending school. The Foundation has agreed to pay for the apartment rent, water and utilities for the duration of her treatment.

Chinonye biggest wish has been to see again. The Children’s Burn Foundation paid the travel expenses for Chinonye and her mother to go to Bascom Palmer Eye Institute in Miami where doctors said they could restore partial sight to at least one of her eyes. Chinonye underwent surgery in April 2009 and currently is able to see hand motion and some colors. She hopes to regain her full sight soon so that she can start reading once again.

Chinonye and her mother are grateful for the support they have received from the doctors at Shriner’s Hospital, Bascom Palmer Eye Institute and the Children’s Burn Foundation, who have all made Chinonye’s healing possible.