JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Local organization Beyond Scars is hosting its annual retreat for burn survivors starting Friday. It’s a healing movement that’s bringing women from across the country to Jacksonville.
Andrea Grant’s life is a story of perseverance. She and her brother survived a gas explosion at their Westside home in 2001. Over the years, Grant worked to overcome her injuries and defy the odds, including becoming a mom after told she couldn’t carry a baby past four months. Photos of her pregnancy, taken by photographer Terrance Armand, went viral in 2016.
Grant said, “I had so many burn survivors follow me. They came from all over. And I would get so many inboxes like, ‘Girl, we should link up. We should hang out’ So I’m like, what if I come up with an event where everybody can come together?
In 2024, Grant expanded the work of her organization Beyond Scars and launched an annual retreat for women burn survivors. 2026 is shaping up to be her biggest year yet, and it’s back home in Jacksonville. Grant said the three-day retreat will include a pajama party bonding session, an expo with a full day of pampering, photo shoots, and a formal dinner.
Grant said, “I want them to know that there’s life worth living. That when you come to this event, you can be filled up and then I want you to go back to your community and pour out.”
While Grant’s passion is empowering burn survivors, she says there’s a lesson for everyone.
“You can have physical scars, you can have mental scars, emotional scars. You have to understand that you have to pick yourself back up and keep going. No matter what, you have to keep going.”
Grant said she is expecting to host nearly 40 women this year. If you want to support or learn more about Beyond Scars, you can find more information here.
>>> STREAM ACTION NEWS JAX LIVE <<<
[DOWNLOAD: Free Action News Jax app for alerts as news breaks]
[SIGN UP: Action News Jax Daily Headlines Newsletter]
Click here to download the free Action News Jax news and weather apps, click here to download the Action News Jax Now app for your smart TV and click here to stream Action News Jax live.
