Overcoming a Lifetime of Trauma, Then Facing a New One: Wildfire [centerforhealthjournalism.org]

Sabrina Hanes has faced a lot of trauma in her life, most of it in her childhood. As part of her healing, she moved to a Northern California town called Paradise. There she built strength and community, but that was upended when the Camp Fire tore through Paradise, burning her home and turning her life upside down.

I followed Hanes through her daily routine in Paradise last summer, to learn how she’s developed resilience. I then caught up with Hanes after the fire to find out what happens next.

Sabrina Hanes kicked off the ground, pulling herself up onto a spinning hoop called a lyra, suspended from the ceiling. The studio in Paradise, where Hanes practiced circus arts and aerial dance, erupted in cheers. She moved through a series of gravity-defying spins and contortions. Her blonde hair — the ends rebelliously colored blue and purple — swirled around her.