EP17 Recap | Shay Eskew: What the fire ignited
It was another day in the suburbs in Atlanta, the weekend started the same as it always had for eight-year-old Shay Eskew, but it ended tragically in a way that nobody could have foreseen.
Through a set of unfortunate circumstances, neglect and stupidity Shay and his neighbourhood friend were set ablaze and he ended up being covered in severe burns across over 65% of his body.
The actual event was pure chaos Shay recollects, he ran across the yard trying to roll around and put the fire out, and to his horror, his friend Jeff was screaming while engulfed in flames. Shay ran back in an effort to help him… Shay’s mother heard the commotion and ran across the street, she had no idea what was going on, nor did she realize that it was her son standing in front of her, charred and mangled from the fire. Shay finally made it to the hospital after they came back twice, the first call provided only one dispatch and Jeff was put on the first ambulance.
It was on the back of this event that Shay published his book, What the Fire Ignited.
The story traverses from life at the Shriners hospital where he stayed for months, his reintegration back into mainstream schools and society through his journey into adulthood. It’s a tale of monumental proportions, as Shay’s recovery does something to his mindset and completely shifts his interface with life.
From living without ears to over 35 surgeries to reconstruct his body, Shay becomes a walking lesson in resilience and performing in the face of adversity, he goes onto perform at an elite level within the alpha world of Ironman where he achieves top finishes and completes over 50 events and represents Team USA four times. To make his story even more inspiring he does all of this while achieving top corporate success!
Enjoy.
RJ Singh
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