14 DAY TRIAL // Carrie McArthur was just eight years old when a fire killed her mother, sisters and brother. The now 29-year-old woman was left with 90% burns on her body after the blaze charred her family's home in Carmarthenshire, in May 1992.
Carrie was rescued by a paramedic who dared to fight through the flames in order to get to her and take her out of the ordeal. She was the only survivor of the terrible fire, which left her with no toes on her left foot and a body full of scars.
The house fire took Carrie's mother Susan, sisters Christine and Adele, and brother Robert. At that time, she was too sick in the hospital to attend the funerals of her mother and siblings.
“I lost the four people I was closest to - I was only eight and they were gone for ever,” said the woman, according to Daily Mail.
It took Carrie three months to learn to walk again and initially she was confined to a wheelchair.
Her father Thomas was the only person Carrie was left with from her own family, as the man was not in the house on the night of the fire.
This tragedy certainly was a difficult moment in her life, but Carrie vowed to never give up and to surround herself with a loving family. She gradually recovered her strength and now has seven children of her own: Thomas, 9, Brendan, 8, Harley, 7, Cody, 6, Tianna, 5, Lewis, 4, and 11-week-old Lucas.
Despite her body burns and the taunts from bullies, who often teased her about the scars and used to call her “Scarface,” Carrie says she was happy to be alive.
“I remember looking in the mirror - I thought I looked like an alien. It was difficult, but I was glad that I was alive,” she said.
Because of the incident that marked her childhood, Carrie is now afraid of fire and prefers to stay indoor when Bonfire night comes to town.
“I have never lit a match. I'm too scared. What happens if it drops? I couldn't do it. You won't catch me lighting a firework for the children, even sparklers are a no go area,” she admits.
The woman, who now lives in Carmarthen, has found comfort in her own children, who fill their home with laughter and joy. She is now attending health and social classes at Carmarthenshire College and wants to become a nurse.
Although some of her children have health issues – Lewis have cerebral palsy, Lewis is in a wheelchair, and Cody and Harley have ADHD – she raises them to be grateful for what they have.
“Don’t take things for granted because you don’t know what is around the corner,” is the advice that she always gives to her kids.