Spencer Beach -Spencer Beach went to work one day when a chemical he was working with ignited and created a flash fire. With a whistle and a bang he received severe burns to 87% of his body, was given a 5% chance to live, his whole identity changed and the effects of his incident rippled out to everyone in his life – especially his wife Tina who was four months pregnant with their first child.
Through the months and years in the hospitals and therapy he battled back from the verge of death, routinely undergoing surgery, fought through overwhelming pain all while learning techniques to live with the scars while trying to find peace with his new life. He has since received the first Award of Courage from the Glenrose Hospital, become a Toast Master, a volunteer with the Friends of the University of Alberta Hospital, an international professional speaker and most importantly a husband and father. One of his greatest pet peeves is when people stop him to tell him how strong or courageous he is because he believes we all have the same strength – he just had no other option but to find his. Join him as he shares how went from being a burn survivor to an “extremely hot man”.
Curtis Webber -Curtis Weber shares his personal experience as a young worker severely injured on the job. He was only 17 and in his third day on the job building bins when the crane moving a hopper came in contact with an overhead power line. Three rounds of 14,400 volts of electricity traveled through Curtis’ body burning over 60% of his body. His right arm and left leg had to be amputated. Curtis’ message is simple – every workplace injury is preventable. “You have to know what the hazards are whatever you are doing and plan your activities around them.” He will share his personal story of a workplace injury, talk about rights and responsibilities in the workplace and put a positive twist on a serious injury. He now works with Prevention at the Workers’ Compensation Board as a spokesperson/trainer.
Megan Smith-Harris - Imagine waking up in a hospital bed bandaged from head to toe, and discovering your life, as you knew it, has been destroyed. Fire is unforgiving and it can strike anyone at anytime. TRIAL BY FIRE: Lives Re-Forged is a feature length documentary that explores the lives of ordinary people who were in the wrong place at the wrong time and got burned. They emerged from the experience, not as victims, but as survivors, reclaiming first their lives, and then their dreams.
TRIAL BY FIRE features a diverse group of people from all walks of life: a firefighter injured in the line of duty; a model/honors student who refuses to be defined by her scars.; an industrial worker slammed by an explosion; a young race car driver who barely escapes a flaming wreck; a family united by tragedy; and a teenage athlete who triumphs against all odds. With no choice but to wear their battle scars in public, these survivors are left with the daunting task of coming face-to-face with a culture that places a premium on physical beauty over strength of character. The stories are framed and given insight by war hero, actor and burn survivor, J.R. Martinez. TRIAL BY FIRE: Lives Re-Forged is a celebration of courage and a movement to make the world a more respectful and welcoming place. When you forge metal with fire it becomes stronger – it turns out the same is true of the human spirit.
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