Betty Kyallo almost lost her life when she was in form three in 2015, after she was knocked down by a matatu at Railways Nairobi.
"So I was walking in town and crossing the road, and this matatu comes and hits me hapo Railways. I got trapped under the matatu and it’s still moving," she said on Instagram Stories.
"The left part of my face got scraped off by the road, so I was white from the shoulder to the face. So my skin is gone, at 17 years old, my dream of becoming a news anchor also gone, because I knew they will not allow you on air with no skin.”
She was hospitalised for two months after the accident, and underwent seven surgeries.
“Apart from the face, I lost four ribs, my jaw got broken, my lungs collapsed, I was in a really bad state. So two months later, I walked out of hospital but my skin was still peeled off. For about like four months, I was scared of walking on the streets because everybody could look at me and feel sorry for me. So I would go to tao with a kitambaa covering my face. But with time I gained confidence. So one time while at school showering, I discovered a dark thing on my face and I realized my skin was growing back,” she said.
“So slowly by slowly, my skin started to grow back, and after a year, the skin was back. The scar on my neck was too deep and that’s why I still have it. For a very long time even after I went on-air, I used to wear high-collared shirts to cover my scar coz I was insecure about them. Until one time I was like am gonna, you know what, I almost lost my life, what am I hiding? Coz this is jewellery.
“I wear my scar as a jewellery. I never hide my scars and I love it because it reminds me of where I came from. And that’s the story behind my scars. Just to encourage someone, wear that scar and let it inspire someone else. Learn from it don’t let it break you.”