Terry McCarthy had always been afraid of fire. It was a fear that had consumed him since the day a bowl of lit kerosene had been dumped on him when he was just six years old.
He had suffered third-degree burns to 70% of his body, and the scars that covered his face and arms made him the target of cruel jokes and taunts from other children. The experience had left him with a crippling lack of confidence that had followed him into adulthood.
He knew that the best way to overcome his fear was to face it head-on, so he decided to become a firefighter. Terry, now 26, went through 12 harsh weeks of training in Washington to become a firefighter and is now thriving.
Fire survivor turned firefighter 💪