A South African burn survivor, Itumeleng Sekhu-Pedi and her husband celebrated their third wedding anniversary on Wednesday, September 11, 2024.

She took to Instagram to share photos of them together. 

“Three years of love, laughter, and adventure together,” she wrote.

‘’ Today marks a special milestone in our journey as husband and wife. I am grateful baby, for every moment we‘ve shared, every challenge we’ve overcome, and every memory we‘ve created. You are my comedian, my no 1 fan and my best friend. Here’s to many more years of growing, exploring and loving each other.” 

At 11 months old, Itumeleng was tucked away in bed at home in Hammanskraal when a candle fixed to a nightstand fell over her.

The flames caught the warm fleece she had been wrapped in before burning through her dress to scorch her baby-soft skin. 

When her mother and uncles smelt smoke from another room and rushed to save her, Itumeleng had suffered major burns.

“When my mum picked me up, my right hand stayed on the bed. One of my ears was charred. I also lost four fingers on my left hand,” she said in an interview. 

Itumeleng has since undergone 104 corrective surgeries, the last of which was at 15. 

The physical and mental scars may not have disappeared, but the now 35-year-old woman has made peace with her reality after battling self-esteem issues and other mental health concerns for years.

“I was nine when a boy in my class told me I looked like burnt meat. Until then, I saw myself as the clever kid in class and was pretty confident,” she says.

“I always knew that the fire had left me scarred, but I didn’t quite realise how badly until the boy uttered those words.”

The cruel jibe triggered a 10-year wave of depression that left deep marks and unpleasant memories.

Itumeleng later delved deeply into numerous texts, including books by motivational speakers, and made a life-changing discovery.

“I discovered that every single person has scars. Mine are physical, but many people have invisible scars within. Many people cannot move past these scars because they don’t have someone to show them how to do it,” she tells TRT Afrika.

“I realised that I went through my wounds and scars because my purpose is to bring hope and healing to other people.”