OUT OF THE ASHES

Stephanie Browitt lost her father and sister in the deadly White Island volcano eruption, and when she was evacuated with burns to 70 per cent of her body, doctors feared they'd lose her too. Today she speaks about finding inner courage and purpose, and her mum, Marie, breaks her silence in support of her brave, beautiful girl

- GENEVIEVE GANNON

Stephanie Browitt has her mother's luminous smile and her father's sense of humour. Three and a half years after the darkest day of her life, she's beginning to rediscover both. She says it's the love of her family that has helped her endure. "We've always wanted to bring each other joy," Stephanie says. "My favourite moments were when we were together, eating dinner at a restaurant, laughing."

"There was never a silent moment in our house," adds mum Marie - who, while declining to be part of today's photo shoot, has agreed to speak publicly for the first time about the disaster and its aftermath. "Our house was full of laughter, it was full of food, it was full of smells, it was full of music. It was a noisy home because it was a welcoming home."

Mother and daughter entwine their hands. Stephanie leans into Marie and they gently touch their heads together. They have always been close, but the past few years have fused them into a tight, unbreakable unit.

Marie's husband and Stephanie's father, Paul, and their younger daughter and sister, Krystal, were lost in the White Island volcano eruption that claimed 22 lives. Stephanie suffered severe, extensive burns, but she is slowly healing. She faces a lifetime of operations but, sitting in the morning light of a Melbourne cafe, her big blue eyes are full of warmth as she talks of her gratitude and ambitions.

"I'm still trying to figure out my own life and strategies to cope with what I've been through, but I try my best," she says, with a tentative smile. "I've just learnt to take it one step at a time. You need goals so you can at least focus on something, so you're not left in despair, and left to think about everything as a whole and feel overwhelmed. You've got something to push towards, to focus on."