Facebook offers Kim (22) after apologies to remove ads

On August 2, 2003, the world stood still in Milsbeek, a village just south of Nijmegen. At the gourmet exploded a container with flammable gel. Kim, then 8, burned 47 percent; her father was wounded, though less severe.

I have not very many memories of the accident, '' said Kim de Ruijter, who last week became 22. ,, With third-degree burns you on the pain threshold and tap into shock. My father took me into the pool - we had just set up - towed. I remember when I was under the shower and said I did not want to die. And that I was lying on a stretcher and I was cold. ''

Kim was twelve weeks in the Burn Centre in Beverwijk and rehabilitating followed nearly two years in the Nijmegen Maartenskliniek. Since then, she's had surgery almost every year.Except in the last year, because when she did her secondary school final exam successfully.

Scar tissue
,, During the last operation is tight scar tissue replaced under my armpit. At the next operation will be replaced scar tissue in my face. And I want something done to my ears. ''

Two weeks ago, Kim suffered a new and unexpected blow. Facebook declined an online advertising where they have featured as the face of the Dutch Burns Foundation. Reason: the photo in the ad was billed by the company as "undesirable body type.

Sour
How wryly: where there is often frozen out in the real world as Kim appears somewhere, it went into the virtual world exactly. ,, Yes, it is equally hard inside. But I thought quickly: this makes no sense. There are more people with burns in the face. ''

Burns Foundation complained to Facebook, wrote an open letter to Facebook Chief boss Mark Zuckerberg. Only when thus created the necessary media attention, Facebook called back. And was the ad, a little over a week later, still approved.

The company made excuses. ,, Somehow I find that easy. A donation of Facebook to the Burns Foundation would be nice. ''

drive
Yet she is not overly beaten off the field by the incident. She has overcome so many setbacks. They became almost blind in her left eye in the accident; the fingers of her right hand were amputated. ,, I was right and I am now left, '' she says. ,, There are plenty of things you can do with one hand though. Driving? Yeah, sure, although it will have to be a custom car. ''

In the second year of secondary school, she began to suffer from anxiety attacks. ,, I did after the accident, as if nothing had happened. I was afraid to admit that my life had changed. I started working with a psychologist to those anxiety attacks. Can tell my story now without crying. ''

Never 'beautiful'
Kim now holds a gap year. She makes time for operations and to think about what she wants to be after. ,, I like to write. I would love to have their own blog. But how you earn money with that? ''

How long she will undergo surgery? ,, I am not satisfied with myself. I'll never "beautiful" to say when I look in the mirror, but I would at least be satisfied with it. ''

By Editors AD: Photo: Theo Peeters