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Phoenix

by Valor Grey

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about

On March 16, 2018, 17 year-old Sammy Badger was badly burned at a river fire in her home town of Squamish.

A flammable can had been thrown into the fire by a teenaged boy. It exploded, sending a ball of fire towards Sammy. Her face and hair caught on fire, and her left hand was badly burned as she used it to shield her eyes from the blaze.

One of the boys at the bonfire acted quickly to drop her into sand and put out the flames, then he got her down the treacherous river bank to douse her head and hand in the glacial waters of the Squamish River. After a trying ordeal to get her to Squamish General Hospital, she was taken by ambulance to the Burn and Trauma Unit at VGH. It was uncertain if she would require plastic surgery or skin grafts as the swelling was so intense.

Sammy went through the excruciating process of debriding (the removal of damaged skin) of her face and hand for three weeks. During her stay at VGH, Sammy was visited by a music therapist named Gemma. Gemma played the guitar and sang from behind a curtain while Sam had her first shower after the burn. Gemma's music helped Sammy get through the trauma of the pain of the water on her skin and the nurse trying to deal with her burned and melted mass of hair. Through her swollen and burned lips, Sammy, a lifelong musician and singer, sang a song back to Gemma. Both Gemma and the nurse said that it was the first time a patient had sung to them. It was there at VGH that “Phoenix” was born. Through the bandages, Sammy told her mom that she had the chorus for a song, about a Phoenix rising from the fire. 

Although there were complications during the healing process, Sammy’s recovery went better than expected, and surrounded by family and friends she was given the news that she would need no surgeries to repair the burn damage. 

Upon returning home to Squamish, the family encouraged Sammy to finish the song that had begun to develop during her time in the hospital, and supported by sister Alex Badger and mother Tamara Stanners they put together a team of musician friends to complete the project. Produced by JP Maurice (recently seen on CTV’s The Launch) and mixed by Russell Broom, and with help from vocalist Angela Kelman, guitarist Ryan Guldemond of Mother Mother, and drummer Nick Petrowich of Bend Sinsiter, they created a recording of “Phoenix” that captures Sammy’s strength and positivity.

It was a gift for Sammy to work on this song of healing and growth, and she is thrilled to release Phoenix to the world under the artist name Valor Grey on August 24th, 2018. Her plan is to share any monies that may come from it with the BC Professional Firefighters Burn Fund, and Music Heals. She will be performing the song at the Music Therapy Ride Festival in Pemberton this Saturday, August 25th.
www.showpass.com/music-therapy-motorcycle-ride/

Sammy wears her new scars proudly.  "I like my scars. They help me remember everything that I had to go through - they are mine."

credits

released August 24, 2018
Sammy Badger - vocals
Alex Badger & Tamara Stanners - background vocals
Ryan Guldemond - guitar
Nick Petrowich - drums
Produced by JP Maurice
Mixed by Russell Broom
Arrangement Assistance from Angela Kelman

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Valor Grey Squamish, British Columbia

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