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Katie Piper's Christmas Message

Submitted by Leo Kolivakis on 12/25/2009 09:12 -0400

United Kingdom

Submitted by Leo Kolivakis, publisher of Pension Pulse.

The Telegraph recently published an article, Appreciate beauty, acid attack victim tells Christmas viewers:

The model and aspiring TV presenter before the attack has received thousands of supportive messages from the public.

In her message, appeared in a Cutting Edge documentary titled Katie: My
Beautiful Face this autumn -she reflects on her progress over the last
year and how strangers' words of kindness have helped her to move
forward.

Piper was left fighting for her life after former
boyfriend Daniel Lynch raped her and then arranged for another man to
hurl the corrosive liquid.

The acid burned through all four layers
of skin on her face, some spilling down her throat, and she was left
blind in one eye.

Piper has undergone more than 30 operations on her face and throat.

But she tells how it took the tragedy for her to reassess her ''self-obsessed'' life.

Piper says: ''This year I wanted to give a Christmas message to
everybody out there who might have had a Christmas like I did last
year.

''In March 2008 I was attacked with acid and left
fighting for my life. I was at an all time low, too scared to leave the
house.

''I didn't see how things could ever get better.''

She says that before the attack she would go home to her parents on
Christmas Eve and: ''Have a few drinks, see them, spend Christmas Day
with them chilling out and go home on Boxing Day.

''My life
before was very self-absorbed, self-obsessed and it took a tragedy for
me to reassess my life and how I felt and what I thought was
important.''

Lynch sent Piper a message on Facebook and the
pair began dating, but the martial arts fan quickly became obsessively
jealous. He raped Piper in a London hotel room.

Lynch refused
to let her return home for hours afterwards and telephoned her,
insisting that she visit an internet cafe near her flat and
mysteriously asking what she was wearing.

This was so that he could direct Stefan Sylvestre to throw acid over her.

In the wake of the attack and only able to communicate by writing, she told her mother Diane ''kill me''.

Piper decided to go public to raise awareness of the plight of burns victims.

She says in her message: ''Don't wait 'til there is tragedy in your life. Don't wait 'til you lose somebody.

''Don't wait until it's too late. Appreciate the beautiful things and the beautiful people that you have in your life now.

''Earlier this year I decided to make a documentary telling my story.

''The night before it went out I was so nervous, frightened that when
people see me they might think that I was a freak. Overnight my life
changed completely.

''I was able to move forward instead of looking back.

''To see that over 200,000 people have posted encouraging, loving
messages of support on the internet, it's just simply amazing. It's
such a great feeling to feel so supported by people.

''My
Christmas message would be to tell people that I used to hide away and
be ashamed of how I looked, frightened of people's reactions and if
people are doing that or feel that way now, I would urge them not to
because they don't have to feel like that and you can become accepted,
you can regain the confidence.

''And for the people
that need to do the accepting, that maybe they freak out when they see
somebody who's different, you absolutely don't have to.''

In
court Lynch, who was jailed for life with a minimum of 16 years and
Sylvestre who was sentenced to life with at least six years, were told
by the judge that they were ''the face of pure evil''.

Piper
says of the response she has received: ''All these letters... have
given me so much confidence, a massive amount of confidence and changed
the way I am living my life and I really hope that it can show other
people that these aren't just for me, these are for everybody who's
feeling the way I once felt.

''Even
when you think things can never move forward and you feel so low
there's always a way out and I never thought that I'd be sat here
saying this, never.''

Piper has also launched a
charity, the Katie Piper Foundation, to help other burns victims. To
subscribe or to make a donation go to www.katiepiperfoundation.org.uk.

As
you gather around this holiday season, keep in mind that many people
aren't as fortunate as you. Katie's message is simple and powerful. Her
unbelievable courage exemplifies what the true meaning of Christmas
really is. It's not about gifts, food, and superficial things. It's
about peace, hope and perseverance. It's about cherishing the beauty of
life and those we love all around us.

I wish you all a Merry
Christmas, Happy Holidays and a Happy New Year. I will be posting on
and off, but I just wanted to send you my best wishes.

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Fri, 12/25/2009 - 17:34 | 174418 Anonymous

It was great to hear Katie do the alternative Christmas message this year. In an age of self-obsessed beauty her words need to be projected the world over ten fold!

I read about lots more girls like Katie from a charity called Acid Survivors Trust International. So many people unfortunatly go through the same tragedy, and it's happening in large numbers all over the world! I can't help imagining how many people like Katie are celebrating Christmas today.

Too them all, i hope you too one day will get the confidence you deserve.

Fri, 12/25/2009 - 17:34 | 174417 Anonymous

It was great to hear Katie do the alternative Christmas message this year. In an age of self-obsessed beauty her words need to be projected the world over ten fold!

Too them all, i hope you too one day will get the confidence you deserve.

Fri, 12/25/2009 - 17:29 | 174412 exportbank

Leo.. It's heartening to see that individuals of character still exist - thanks for her story.

I'd like to compliment you on bringing the pension issues to all of the ZH followers. These are important but mostly hidden from view.

Looking forward to your 2010 input.

Fri, 12/25/2009 - 12:30 | 174200 Anonymous

"There is a principle which is a bar against all information, which is proof against all arguments and which cannot fail to keep a man in everlasting ignorance-that principle is contempt prior to investigation." -Herbert Spencer

Leo;
Keep doing what your doing! "MERRY CHRISTMAS"

Katie Piper's Christmas Message

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