Dana Vulin has a message for all survivors of hateful crimes–don’t waste your life filled with anger! She is the survivor of a horrible assault, one in which she was set on fire by a disturbed woman who believed Dana was involved with her estranged husband. In 2012, the woman broke into Dana’s home, doused her with methylated spirits (ethanol with a high percentage of alcohol) and set her on fire.
Dana, a native of Perth, Australia, almost died, and during her recovery underwent multiple surgeries for the burn wounds covering 64% her torso, arms, and face. She went through countless hours of physical therapy, perservering to heal.
Now Dana Vulin has a book out, Worth Fighting For, which she wrote to recount her difficult journey of healing, both mental and physical.
Dana’s book recounts the events of that night, detailing how attacker Natalie Dimitrovska laughed as she set Dana aflame. Amazingly, Dana has chosen not to waste her time with bad feelings for her attacker.
“I learned when I was very young not to hate, and I’m so glad I learned that lesson before my burn because to hate is so toxic on the mind and body and this could have been a whole different journey if I didn’t learn that lesson,” said Dana. “I just focus my energy on being positive and my recovery and helping other people…Who’s got time to hate? Hating is stupid. Nobody wins.”
Another amazing detail about Dana’s recovery is the compression mask she wore in hopes of healing the horrific burns to her face. She actually removed the mask publicly to reveal her face live on Channel Seven’s Sunday Night show.
She has worked for years to recover her mobility, and has had the scare tissue one her body replaced multiple times. Her journey has truly been a miraculous work of modern medicine. She went through dark times but said, “All my family was worried about me killing myself and it would have been easier to die, but I decided to live.”
Dana Vulin is now a motivational speaker and supports many charities. “I’ve learned to love and respect my body,” Dana said. “My message is whatever you have, make the best of what you’ve got.” Though she has worked had to regain her outer beauty, it is her inner beauty that truly shines through!
