On May 15, UofL Health – UofL Hospital. J. David Richardson Trauma Center held their second annual trauma survivor celebration: Live Beyond: A Celebration of Trauma Survivors. This event showcases trauma survivors’ stories through photography, artwork and the written word.

The theme for this year’s theme was kintsugi. Kintsugi is the Japanese art of mending broken pottery with gold. It recognizes the value in an object's journey and chooses to highlight the damage instead of disguising it.

On the days
 when you feel
 ashamed of your scars,
 your mind only registering
 how ugly they are
 rather than the beauty
 they prove of you having survived,
 remember that
 there is an entire art form dedicated
 to filling the cracks of broken things with lacquered gold.

An entire art form that proves that
 even the broken and damaged history of an object
 is beautiful and should be treasured.

Remember
 how much more you are
 than an object.
 Remember
 your survival, your journey,
 your scars deserve to be treasured too.

-Nikita Gill-

Live Beyond 2024 logo

Below are the stories and photos from this year’s event. Click on the button with their name under their image to read their story.

Amy and Ava Jones.

Resilient. Hard-Working.

Trauma Survivors.

Anthony Berkley.

Loving and Compassionate.

Trauma Survivor.

 

Blaine Williams.

A Gentle Soul.

Trauma Survivor.

Dana Mitchell.

Compassionate Mother, Loving Daughter.

Trauma Survivor.

Roger Dwayne Denney.

Relentless, Never Give Up.

Trauma Survivor.

Jasmine Blackmon.

Shattered and put back together.

Trauma Survivor.

Jerry Chavez.

Gentle, Kind.

Trauma Survivor.

Kaylin Coy.

Family Oriented.

Trauma Survivor.

Landen Hines.

A man of his community.

Trauma Survivor.

Olga Maria Lugo Lopez.

Fighter.

Trauma Survivor.

Perris Jones.

Disciplined, hopeful.

Trauma Survivor.

Terrence Towns.

Focused, Committed.

Trauma Survivor.

Terry Montre (Tre) Ledford.

Provider, Fighter, Disciplined.

Trauma Survivor.

Zackry Buckley.

Gentle and kind.

Trauma Survivor.