"At the height of the pandemic-induced lockdown in October 2020, Charlene and her then-partner were deep frying donuts in their Melbourne apartment. What began as an innocent activity has resulted in a long journey of healing, from epidermis right down to the deepest layers of her soul.
“He was the one who forgot to turn the stove off. Not that I blame him or anything,” Chew emphasises. “But the oil was left to boil for about an hour or so.”
As plumes of smoke filled the house, Charlene panicked and dumped the pan of hot oil in the sink, running water over it. “It just exploded into my face, I was still conscious. I don’t know how to describe the pain, but it was very traumatising and confusing.”