Teenager battles for beauty title from hospital bed

Lucy Morgan is currently in a hospital bed, wrapped in bandages and unable to walk properly but she is determined to try to make her dream of becoming a beauty queen come true.

The eighteen-year-old, from Harrogate, was badly hurt and scarred when a can of flammable liquid burst into flames as she and a group of friends sat around a bonfire.

The accident left her with 25 per cent burns across her body and face, affecting a large area of her legs and she was rushed to a burns unit where she underwent numerous operations and is still recovering.

It happened just weeks after Miss Morgan entered the Miss Leeds beauty pageant and was chosen to be one of a number of finalists who people can vote for by text. The winner will go on to enter Miss England and despite being unable to walk properly and with bandages, scars and red marks on her face, body, hands and legs, Miss Morgan says she still wants to take part and is asking people to vote for her.

Despite her injuries which have needed three skin graft operations, Miss Morgan has decided she wants to stay in the Miss Leeds competition to celebrate being lucky to be alive and support other burn victims.

Miss Morgan, who loves horses and is determined to ride again, said: “I remember rolling on the grass and shouting for people to get me water but the flames wouldn’t go out.

“My friend put the flames out with a blanket.”

She said she had thought about not taking part but said: “I thought about dropping out but I am lucky, it could have been a lot worse, I could have lost my sight.

“The final is on May 10 and I might still be bandaged up and it might be hard for me to walk but I want to take part.

“People think you need to be perfect to be a beauty queen but I am still going to do it anyway. On Facebook people have been saying really nice things and have been so supportive.

“It’s so nice to know people are supporting me, without them I wouldn’t be able to take part.”

Miss Morgan also has the backing of Harrogate Skills 4 Living Centre, where she works part-time, as a charity fundraising coordinator.

She has previously organised a charity horse ride to raise funds for breast cancer care UK and says she will continue charity fundraising when she leaves hospital.

She said: “I want to try and do some fundraising for the burns unit, the staff here have been fantastic and there is a lot to build the confidence of children who have been burned.”

Miss Morgan is recovering in Pinderfields Hospital burns unit, in Wakefield, following the accident on March 9, where she will remain until the end of the month.

The student is still managing to fight for her place in the pageant and raise awareness of the charities she has chosen to support for her campaign, as she struggles in pain with her face and hands scarred and legs bandaged from thigh to toe.

Miss Morgan came in third place in last year’s Miss Harrogate contest and has remained friends with winner Olivia Craven who is backing Miss Morgan’s bid to be Miss Leeds.

To vote for Miss Morgan in the Miss Popularity round text ‘MISS LEEDS23’ to 64343 (texts cost £1 plus standard rate.)