ESPN anchor Hannah Storm returned to work a mere three weeks after her horrific, fiery accident, to host the Rose Parade coverage in Pasadena for ABC. Looking fabulous is part of her job, and she pulled it off, while wearing bandages on her left hand and arm. “Something like this really makes you appreciate everything you have,” the reporter said, and Radar Online reported on Wednesday, Jan. 2. “Even the chance to wake up on New Year's Day and do your job.”
The Dec. 11 accident happened in the back yard of Hannah Storm’s own home, as she tried to light a propane stove outside in a gusty wind. When the burner blew out she turned it off and attempted a re-light. The whole stove exploded in her face, causing first and second degree burns over her face, neck, hands and chest. “A wall of fire came at me,” she said. “I looked down and I was on fire.” She compared it to something out of a movie.
Her first glances into a mirror, after more than a day in the hospital, were terrifying. Hannah Storm looked totally disfigured, and much of her hair was gone – literally burned away. This had to be an experience as horrifying as the original blast, for a woman who depends upon her looks for a great part of her job. Even the news is show business, after all, when it comes to television.
“More than anything, I feel gratitude,” Hannah said in a recent interview, especially for her friends. “My friends really came through.” And she thanked her children, who did everything from changing bandages to leaving sticky notes full of good advice. And she will need ongoing support from her fans, to get her full confidence back.
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