Angel Faces with Lesia S. Cartelli
Dr. Dan is honored to speak to courageous author, inspiring speaker, and visionary leader Lesia Stockall Cartelli today about Angel Faces, the national nonprofit she founded that provides healing retreats and ongoing support to adolescent girls and young women with severe burns and trauma injuries. Lesia Cartelli overcame a serious injury at the age of nine and learned to transform her intense pain into a life of passion and purpose. Today she touches the hearts of everyone she comes in contact and has helped thousands.
Lesia Stockall Cartelli endured serious burn injuries at the age of nine in a natural gas explosion. For thirty years, Cartelli launched and directed aftercare programs for burn and trauma patients. In 2003, she founded Angel Faces. Cartelli was selected as “Hero of the Week” by People Magazine, featured on CNN’s “Human Factor” with Dr. Sanjay Gupta, HLN, ABC NEWS 20/20, MSN, PBS, and other national media. She has received many prestigious awards for her leadership and inspiration including the “Heart of a Woman” Award on the Dr. Phil Show and an EMMY for Angel Faces mini documentary.
Dr. Dan and Lesia discuss how parents can support their children by seeking professional help and support — for their child and for themselves, too. Lesia discusses how for any teen it’s tough trying to fit into a world obsessed with physical beauty, but for a young woman who has been permanently disfigured by a traumatic injury trying to fit in is deeply challenging. Stares, unwanted questions and rejection are the reality this special group of survivors deals with on a daily basis. During the Angel Faces retreats survivors learn to deal with grief and loss, gain tools to deal with everyday struggles, and so much more.
In today’s interview, Lesia and Dr. Dan demonstrate how to talk to kids with direct questions and how to discover blessings and gifts within any challenge. Lesia explains how she also teaches the power of embracing our fears—something she did herself at age thirty-three when she faced her fear of fire and suited up in full firefighting gear to enter a burning building known as a “control burn.” (A beautiful side note to the story is that after she conquered her fear, she married the fire captain who actually led her into the fire.)
Today’s podcast interview about Leisa and Angel Faces (and her Parent Footprint moment) is one listeners will never forget. Dr. Dan’s conversation with Leisa will give everyone hope.
Angel Faces®, founded in 2003, is a non-profit organization headquartered in Encinitas, CA, whose mission is to provide healing retreats and ongoing support for adolescent girls and young women with severe and permanent disfigurement from burn/trauma injuries so they may achieve their optimum potential and develop meaningful relationships for themselves, their families, and their communities. Leisa’s work with others and her own healing journey inspired Lesia to write the book Heart of Fire.
For more information, please visit angelfaces.com.