Katie Piper has heartily thanked her sister Suzy for supporting her in her recovery from an acid attack.
The 39-year-old TV personality was fighting for her life when her obsessive ex-boyfriend Daniel Lynch arranged for Stefan Sylvestre to throw sulfuric acid at her in 2008.
And Katie took to Instagram on Tuesday, sharing a duo of throwback snaps as she thanked her younger sister for “hanging out around and supporting her” during her most difficult time.
Thank you: Katie Piper has heartily thanked her sister Suzy for supporting her in her recovery from an acid attack
Katie’s photos, beaming alongside her sister, showed her severe facial injuries following the attack, with one seeing her in a plastic mask, which she was forced to wear to help with her burns.
Among the posts, Katie shared how grateful she was that her sister gave up her time to help her parents look after her and Katie recalled a girls trip to Greece they had.
She wrote: “My sister gave up all of her social life to help my parents with my recovery, she rallied around me and supported me to be my best friend just like she did when we were little girls again.
Shocking: The 39-year-old TV personality was fighting for her life when her obsessive ex-boyfriend Daniel Lynch arranged for Stefan Sylvestre to throw sulfuric acid at her in 2008
“About 3 years later she went to Kavos with her friends for the first time in years, she had grown fond of me and she was often my only company outside of my parents.
“Her friends had made these t-shirts for her trip (we share the same sense of humor) so she got me this one as a joke as my grandparents’ cottage was the only place (apart from the hospital) where I felt safe also felt. It made us all laugh and I wore it the whole time she was on vacation.
Her post continued, “Recovery is never something you can predict, it’s painful and uncertain, full of ups and downs, but one thing I took comfort in during my recovery and maybe even more so afterwards is that I was not alone.
Supporters: Katie took to Instagram on Tuesday and shared a duo of throwback snaps as she thanked her younger sibling for “hanging out and supporting her” during her most difficult time
“And that’s not to say I was always surrounded by people, but I had support in many ways and it was a big part of my mental recovery while my body was recovering physically. It was tremendous motivation for me to start @KPFoundation with the goal of hosting retreats so other survivors can come together and see that they are not alone on their journey to recovery.
“The journey of meeting others sharing experiences eventually allows you to feel comfortable alone.
‘”The greatest thing in the world is to know how to belong to yourself.”‘
Tribute: Katie captioned the posts sharing how grateful she was that her sister gave up her time to help her parents look after her and Katie recalled a girls trip to Greece they had
Model and TV presenter Katie was forced to wear a mask after the attack and required 40 surgeries to treat her severe burns in a long and arduous process that included a landmark operation to completely remove the damaged skin from her face and replace it with a replacement would.
In July 2019, 12 years after the attack, she underwent another operation to cauterize the blood vessels in her left eye.
She was hospitalized again for emergency surgery in August last year after being in “extreme pain” and her husband Richard Sutton noticing a black spot in her eye.
Just last month, she opened up about her “restoring hair transplant” after a life-changing acid attack left her permanently scarred
Attackers: Daniel Lynch (pictured), who ordered the attack on Katie (right), is not eligible for release until 2025
Terrible: Before the attack, Katie was a model and aspiring TV presenter. She is pictured before the attack
In her heartbreaking victim statement after the attack, Katie said: “When the acid was thrown at me it felt like I was burning in hell. It was an indescribable, unique, excruciating pain.
“I’ve lost my future, my career, my mind, my body, my looks, my dignity – the list goes on.
“All I have left is an empty shell. A part of me has died that will never come back. This is worse than death.”
Katie was hospitalized again for emergency surgery in August last year (pictured) after she was in “extreme pain” and her husband Richard Sutton noticed a black spot in her eye
Since the ordeal, Katie has rebuilt her life and has appeared on numerous TV shows, including a 2009 documentary about the aftermath of the attack.
She also took part in the hit BBC show Strictly Come Dancing in 2018 and founded the Katie Piper Foundation to raise awareness for other victims of burns and other disfiguring attacks and injuries.
That year, she was awarded an OBE for charity and cremation services in the New Year Honors.
Terrifying: In her heartbreaking victim statement after the attack, Katie said: ‘When the acid was thrown at me it felt like I was burning in hell. It was an excruciating pain’