Interview with model

Abby Davis

On a scorching afternoon, with temperatures soaring to 95°F, I found myself at the Publix Coffee Shop in Salt Lake City, waiting for Abby Davis. She walked in, fresh from a runway practice session, sporting a graphic tee emblazoned with the Walking for Gold logo. After exchanging greetings and ordering iced drinks, we settled down for our interview.

Vessel: Hello, Abby. Thank you for spending the afternoon with us today. Could you start by giving us a brief introduction of yourself? Where were you born and where did you grow up? Tell us a bit about your family as well.

Abby: My name is Abby. I was born and raised in Utah and have lived here for most of my life. My family also grew up here; it is our home base. I consider us to be a big family. I have three siblings: an older sister, a younger sister, and a baby brother. We’re all super close. My siblings are my best friends. I still see them multiple times a week, even though we’re all grown-up adults and doing our own things.

Vessel: Have you ever thought of venturing out to other cities?

A: Yes, I have moved away from Utah a couple of times. I spent a few years in Hawaii, living on Oahu. I also spent some time in South Carolina and a few months in London. Additionally, I had the opportunity to study abroad in Spain. I get out every once in a while, but I always end up back here because my family is here. However, I would love to see what opportunities there are for me outside of Utah.

Vessel: When you were younger, what dreams did you have? What did you aspire to be as a child?

A: Honestly, when I was a kid, what stands out the most is how badly I wanted to be a fashion designer. I used to have Harry Potter in my room growing up, and I would go and hide under the stairs, drawing as many dresses as I could think of. A lot of them ended up being the same because I was only eight, but I just loved the creative side of that. I loved the idea of seeing something in my mind and then almost creating it in real life. I thought that was so cool. I always knew I wanted to do something in the creative field. I’ve always had a very wandering imagination, and I struggle with “big girl jobs” because I just want to do something creative.

Vessel: I think we all kind of need it when we’re young. You try to imagine what you want to do in the world. I thought of the same thing when I got into art. I was like, “Oh, that’s probably what I would like to do - fashion design.” What were you like as a kid? Were you more of an introvert or an extrovert?

A: I feel like I was very naturally extroverted when I was really young. However, when I hit junior high and high school, I became a lot more introverted. That period was my first introduction to the real world. I switched schools in junior high, which meant all new people, and it was really hard. Being the new girl scared me because I was naturally extroverted. I can talk to you for hours until you’re like, “Abby, please shut up and stop,” because I love it, and I love people. That’s my favorite part of what I do now; I get to meet so many people, make connections, and broaden my circle.

But yeah, when I got to junior high, I became a lot more introverted. A big part of that was because I started to be bullied. I thought, “Maybe I shouldn’t be as loud, or maybe I should try really hard to be invisible because when people see me, they don’t like what they see, and they make fun of me for it.” I still wanted to be an extroverted individual, but I didn’t really feel like I could, if that makes sense.

Vessel: If you don’t mind, we’d like to get a bit personal. Could you share what happened to you during the accident and how it impacted your life?

A: I was in an accident as a child when I was 18 months old. My mom was cooking dinner in the kitchen with me. We had a small storage room downstairs where we kept extra food, and she ran downstairs to grab something she needed for dinner. I somehow managed to get out of my highchair and climb onto the counter. I was wearing a little Princess Tutu dress, and we had a candle burning on the counter. My dress caught fire and went up in flames. My mom heard me screaming and ran back up the stairs. She grabbed me with her bare hands—Mom strength, that woman is my idol, but that’s a whole other story—and put me in the sink. She had all the flames out within 20 to 30 seconds and called 911. I was then life-flighted to the University of Utah Hospital, where I stayed for about a month.

I underwent many surgeries—I’ve lost count at this point. My heart stopped during a couple of them. They weren’t sure if I was going to make it through. Obviously, I did, but it left me with 25% of my body burned. Thirteen percent of that was third-degree burns that had to be grafted, while the other parts were able to heal. The top half of my face had second-degree burns that could heal on their own, but the bottom half needed grafts, which is why it is multicolored. That was my story. It was really difficult, honestly, but it has become a part of me.

I feel like it changed the entire trajectory of my life. I know that sounds dramatic, but for a really long time, it became who I was. Every person I talked to, I was consumed with thoughts like, “What are they thinking?”, “What are they looking at?”, “Why are they looking at my face?” I struggled to create and develop genuine connections and friendships because I thought, “Oh, this is out of pity. They feel bad for me. They’re trying to be my friends so they look like the Good Samaritan or so they don’t have to watch me be alone and feel better about themselves.” It was really hard for me to believe that anyone just wanted to be my friend, especially when the bullying started. At my very lowest, I felt that I would never be accepted in this world. It was so difficult because it seems like such a small thing, right? It’s just your appearance, right? Everyone would say, “You can still be beautiful” or “You’re a survivor in your own way.” It was never just “You’re pretty”; it was always, “You’re pretty because you got burned.” It was almost as if I had become my injury and wasn’t able to be my own person outside of that.

For a long time, I felt like I kind of played the victim a little bit. I would think, “Oh, my life is so hard. My life is so sad.” Thinking like that just made it so much worse. Then, I felt like I never got a free moment. When I was at school dealing with bullies, I would go home and be the bully to myself, saying those same things. I never got a break or any moment of peace. I couldn’t just accept and sit with myself. It was always, “What can I do to fix myself?”

I remember coming home from school and searching online for “pretty people with healed burn scars” or any example of someone who had been through difficult situations like me and made it out, showing up happy and confident. I just needed to see someone else who had done it—maybe I’m not alone in this, and maybe it’s okay for me to be confident and try to do the things I want to do regardless of what people are saying about me or if they’re looking at me. I never found anyone. All the photos I found were just medical images of “before and after healing.” I was never able to find an example of someone who I felt had overcome that and grown from it. It impacted every portion of my life.

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