The girl who was horrifically scalped on a carnival ride last year speaks for the first time about that life-altering day

When 12-year-old Elizabeth Gilreath got on her first carnival ride, she had a horrific experience. Gilreath’s scalp was ripped from her head on a ride, and she is finally speaking out about the horrific incident.

She was rushed to the hospital and spent months having surgeries, including 28 blood transfusions.

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The horrific incident changed Gilreath’s life, but she refuses to be defined by that moment. She recounted to NBC, “In the bathroom, they forgot to cover the mirror, and I saw my head. They had to bring me back up to my room.”

“My scars don’t define me.” 12-year-old Elizabeth Gilreath is speaking out nearly one year after she was scalped on a carnival ride. pic.twitter.com/rpPlN7a3Sz

— HLN (@HLNTV) April 28, 2017

After a year, her beautiful red locks are finally growing back, and she’s overjoyed that she’s able to put her hair in ponytails. She said that the incident has had a lasting damage, especially on her eyes.

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Gilreath currently has two lawsuits pending, and she has more surgeries planned. But for now, the teen is happy just focusing on her life. She declares, “My scars don’t define me.”