Beautifully Broken, Re-Defined: Daphne’s Journey Back to Her Feet
WHAT MAKES YOU A BEAUTIFUL DISASTER?
I can go as far as I need to, despite myself.
I am deeply flawed, but I always find a way through.
WHY DO YOU IDENTIFY WITH THE BEAUTIFUL DISASTER BRAND?
I like the message behind the brand—the idea of imperfection being good enough.
Uncompromising confidence and attitude.
TELL US YOUR BEAUTIFUL DISASTER STORY
September 6, 2023.
I teach high school. It was the second day of teacher development and preparation, and I was walking to the train station to go into the city.
I waited at the light to cross the service road to the highway.
The light changed.
I had the cross signal.
Three steps in, I felt the impact.
I was stunned. Confused.
It got dark.
I felt the pressure as the tire rolled over me.
I screamed.
I thought, “Well shit, this is it. Fuck me!”
It got lighter briefly.
Then dark again.
A second tire went over me.
I was sprawled out in the middle of the road.
Not dead.
Paramedics peeled me off the pavement and delivered me to the nearest trauma center.
I had six fractures to my pelvis, a rupture to my left kidney, and road rash on all of my limbs.
I was hospitalized for the better part of a month—first on the burn ward and then in inpatient rehabilitation.
WHAT HAPPENED FOR YOU TO TURN IT AROUND?
I could sit and stagnate, or I could do the work and walk again.
I chose to go the distance.
NAME 3 THINGS YOU’VE DONE TO MOVE CLOSER TO HAPPINESS
- Put myself first.
- Be generous to those around me.
- Seek out new experiences.
WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE BEAUTIFUL DISASTER COLLECTION, PAST OR PRESENT, AND WHY?
I really like the Siren, Re-Defined, and Unwritten collections. All of them resonate with me.
I have spent a lot of time in the water, and the iconography and mystic nature of mermaids and sirens is captivating.
I like Re-Defined because I feel it captures my experience perfectly.
I was beautifully broken. I have worked hard to overcome that damage.
Lastly, Unwritten.
I am not stopping despite the obstacles in my way.
My story will continue, and the chapters to come will only be better than those that have passed.