A woman who suffered third-degree burns in a house fire that killed her two brothers "lost everything all over again" when her home burnt to the ground for a second time 31 years later. "

Kanisha Anthony, 36, was just four years old when she was "scarred for life" after her childhood home in St Louis, Missouri, went up in flames in November 1993. "

She survived after a police officer pulled her out of a window, but her two brothers -

Travis, six, and Marcus, one - didn't make it.

Kanisha suffered severe injuries - including burns to 60 per cent of her body - and travelled six hours most days to Shriner's Hospital for Children in Dayton, Cincinnati, where she was offered free surgeries until she was 17. 

She had third-degree burns "right down to the skull" and lost four fingers and one ear."

Growing up, Kanisha struggled to cope with people staring at her injuries and the grief of losing her brothers - but had "hit rock bottom" when doctors said her scars wouldn't allow her skin to stretch enough to carry a child."

It wasn't until she met husband - and fire survivor - Calvin Anthony, 40, at a camp for burn victims that they defied the odds and she went on to birth four children - Trey, 16, Mariah, 11, Kristopher, nine, and Zion, 10 months.

Unfortunately, the family have since been forced to relocate to Phoenix, Arizona, after tragedy struck in October 2024 when a fire destroyed their home - a second time for Kanisha.

The family hopes to "start a new chapter" and "move on from the trauma". "

Kanisha, a content creator, said: "I remember waking up, seeing the flames and hearing the screams of my two brothers. "

"It was all a blur after that. "

"I was taken to two nearby hospitals, but they couldn't do anything for me there. "

"But the next 13 years of my life were spent in surgery in Cincinnati, where I was luckily offered free medical care. "

"At the time, I was told my heart stopped beating and that I would end up in a vegetative state. "

"But I proved all the doctors wrong. "

"I fought and now I'm a wife and a mother to four miracles."

"I'm extremely grateful for that."  "

Kanisha, who lived with her grandma, was forced to fly six hours most days from St Louis, Missouri, to Cincinnati for treatment until she turned 17 - and underwent "countless" skin grafts and surgeries to deal with the worst of the burns."
 
"The doctors referred to me as a 'miracle girl'," she said."

"My injuries to my head and body were so severe that I shouldn't have survived."

"I was forced to miss a lot of school and it was difficult to deal with the stares and the bullying. "

"Life was tougher for me than the average kid."

"I basically had to start over again."

Kanisha described her recovery as "never-ending" and painful. "

She had to have bandages changed every day and rehab sessions to get her walking again. 

The survivor also says she wore diapers until she was five due to being bed-bound. 

"It felt like once I was fully healed from one thing, it was time for something else and it was painful," Kanisha said. "

During her recovery, doctors also explained that Kanisha would likely "never have children" from the scars. "

"They said the scars wouldn't be able to stretch enough for pregnancy," she said. "

"I was devastated."

It wasn't until Kanisha met the love of her life, Calvin, who was also a flames-injured person, at a camp for burn survivors, aged 12, that she "began to find happiness". "

The pair "clicked straightaway," and by 19, Kanisha was pregnant with their first child. "

"Calvin understood my story better than anyone," she said. "

"He had suffered burns when someone had chucked an aerosol can into a campfire he was standing next to. "

"We saw ourselves in each other. "

"Every scan went well and we were just excited to see our little one."

Kanisha experienced a few issues with her scars on her lower back throughout the pregnancy - mainly because they were soft and would stretch and tear as her belly grew - which often led to bleeding.



Despite the odds, on August 12, 2009, she gave birth to Trey, who weighed 8lbs, 3oz.

"My boy was a light in a dark tunnel," she said. "

A year later, the couple married and planned to grow their family. 

Over 15 years, Kanisha gave birth to three more children, Mariah, Kristopher and Zion, and built a "loving home". "

But in October 2024, Kanisha "relived the worst" after battling another house fire, which destroyed all her family's belongings. "

"It triggered severe PTSD in me," she said. "

"I couldn't believe this was happening again - we only walked away with the clothes on our backs."

"Luckily, no one was hurt and we soon had a GoFundMe started for us by our favourite local coffee shop owner. "

"It was a gesture we will never forget." "

The GoFundMe has since raised over $30,000, and the family of six moved to Phoenix, Arizona, for a "new start." "

They now live in a rental house and take each day as they come. 

"I may have lost a lot - but I've gained so much more," Kanisha said."

"Sharing my journey online, I have received so much love and support. "

"My life motto is 'you are you and that's what makes you beautiful', it's not what others think. "

"I embrace my scars and my past and don't let other people's opinions get me down. "

"As long as I have my family - everything will be OK."