Burn survivor story inspires mental health cartoon

CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas – Gabe Alvarado’s life changed forever in 2009 when an explosion at a Corpus Christi refinery left him with severe burns and other injuries.

Doctors kept him in a coma for 90 days, and since the explosion he has had to undergo more than 70 surgeries.

But now her story is the inspiration for a cartoon called “My Life Is Worth Living”, which deals with mental health issues that children and teens can suffer from.

The story of the cartoon character Danny is that he was badly burned in a house fire and lost his left arm, just like Alvarado.

The four-part series begins with Danny returning to school and faced with ridicule and rejection because of his discolored skin and the hook he has in place of his missing hand.

Alvarado was well past his high school years when the explosion happened, but he says he still felt rejected because of his disfigurement, which is why he has some advice.

“When you see someone who looks different, instead of gawking or something – hey – smile,” he said. “A smile goes a long way.”

Wonder Media created Danny and four other characters who experience different triggers for mental illness. Owner Terry Thoren was the CEO of the company that created the hit cartoons “Rugrats” and “The Simpsons”.

His character, inspired by Alvarado, learns to better manage his “new normal” through therapy and other means.

“Danny, over time – and by connecting with the power and strength of his family and friends – gets to the point where Gabe is now,” Thoren said.

The five scenarios could be seen for free on YouTube.

They’re offered in English at the moment, but in January Thoren says they’ll also be available in Portuguese, Spanish, Mandarin, and Japanese.

“Any teenager who has mental health issues, we want them to be able to get it for free,” he said.

And if they get this free help, it will be a silver lining for Alvarado’s personal tragedy.

“I just wanted to do something good for the community and keep doing it,” Alvarado said. “And with the love and support of friends, family and community, we can continue this series.”