Take It From Us with Kent Johns

Kelsey Waghorn: Surviving White Island - and the PTSD that came later

Use Left/Right to seek, Home/End to jump to start or end. Hold shift to jump forward or backward.

0:00 | 38:44

Kelsey Waghorn survived the Whakaari White Island volcanic eruption on December 9, 2019. In two minutes, the volcano changed the trajectory of her life.

Kelsey made split-second decisions that saved lives - staying still when she wanted to run, getting everyone on the boat when help never came. She spent five days in a coma, weeks in hospital. The burns were catastrophic.

But the darkest moment came two years later when the PTSD caught up with her. Kelsey fell into a victim mindset - isolating from family, watching everything burn down around her. Her relationship imploded. That rock bottom jolted her back to life.

A trauma specialist helped her understand: her brain had rewired itself. Understanding that changed everything.

Kelsey pulled herself out. She's just published her book and is embracing freedom - no longer living in fear. This is a story you won't forget.

We'd love to hear from you. Send us a text or a voicemail by clicking here.

If you need support, here are helpful links, phone numbers and resources: https://ember.org.nz/resources/in-a-crisis/