Justina is the author of "The Circle of Fire". Triumph does not have a universal measure. This inspirational book conveys a powerful message designed to empower and change the lives of those who are hurting and are in need of understanding on how to travel the challenging terrain of tragedy. The Circle of Fire is an inside view of the author’s journey in overcoming the devastation and loss caused by a four-alarm house fire. Realize how tragedy is not a death sentence to despair, anger, and continual pain. Discover how you too can learn something positive from every bad experience, even when your faith has been taken through the fire. Justina’s life was changed forever in the early morning hours of March 7, 1999. That is when fire swept through her Houston home, killing her 22-month old twin son, Amos, severely injuring the other twin Benjamin, and leaving her with third degree burns over 55 percent of her body. From the ashes of this tragedy a new hope has risen. Justina has since dedicated herself to helping families affected by burn trauma. She is the founder and Executive Director of The Amos House of Faith, a nonprofit organization, established to provide post burn support to children and families affected by burn trauma. Justina’s work within the burn
community has been highly recognized by various prestigious organizations. Those accolades include being honored as the 2008 Memorial Hermann Hospital
Volunteer of the Year, receiving the Houston Fire Department Neighborhood Hero Award, the Houston Texan’s Halliburton Hometown Hero Award, the Shriner’s Hospital for Children in Galveston 2008 Volunteer Group of the year award, and the Mayor Bill White Amos House of Faith Proclamation Day.
Being a burn survivor herself as well as the mother of burn survivors, she has experienced all the stages of trauma a burn patient faces and is uniquely qualified to deal with these problems. She has been trained as a SOAR (Survivors Offering Assistance and Recovery) trainer, coordinator, and peer supporter. This coupled with her work at the John S. Dunn Sr. Burn Center at Memorial Hermann Hospital, Shriners Hospital in Galveston, and the Phoenix Society, gives her a truly unique understanding of how to teach, help, and inspire others. Justina is a founding advocate of Common Voices Coalition, a group that focuses on education regarding fire sprinklers and the role they play in a total fire protection package for your home. Justina serves in various capacities within the burn community. She has served as chat line moderator, support group leader, and panelist at the World Burn Congress. She is the current support group leader for the John S. Dunn Sr. burn unit as well as the burn unit Team Leader for Memorial Hermann Volunteer Services. This is Justina’s way of giving back to the community that helped her through her long arduous recovery. She is the mother of sixx sons and has been married 23 years.