The $30 million toe in the water

A young model's life was forever changed when a barbecue accident left her severely burned at just 17. Jordana Ashkenazi recounts the harrowing experience that derailed her career.

According to the source,Jordana was living in an expensive area near the beaches of North Sydney at the time of the accident.. She had a shoot for a fashion brand booked in Thailand two weeks later and was excited to enter this new chapter.

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The accident occurred when someone poured more meths on the fire to get it going, leading to a fireball that engulfed Jordana's face and body. The early evening passed off without a hitch, but things took a turn for the worse when the boys, who had been drinking, started to get hungry again.

As Jordana recounts, 'Someone had suggested they soak the briquettes in petrol and methylated spirits to get the barbie going, and – mad as this advice was – the early evening passed off without a hitch.' The boys then decided to pour some more meths on the fire to get it going, leading to the devastating consequences.

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Jordana's injuries were severe, with 32% of her body burned. She had second and third-degree burns on her chest and was told she would need an operation to graft skin from her thigh . The doctors put her in a burns vest made of tight mesh that covreed her whole upper body, from her elbows to her hips, and up to her neck.

As Jordana recounts, 'I had been hit by a fireball which had leapt off the barbecue and engulfed my face and body. I wasn’t in pain, but something had happened to my eyesight.' She was eventually taken to the hospital, where she was put on morphine and oxygen as the doctors were worried her lungs had been damaged.

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Jordana's experience is a stark reminder of the dangers of drunken recklessness. As she recounts, 'I was supposed to be home by 11pm but my parents were out for their wedding anniversary so I stayed longer and, by midnight, the boys, who had been drinking, started to get hungry again.'

The accident was a turning point in Jordana's life, and she has spoken publicly about the trauma she experienced. As she recounts, 'I had been hit by a fireball which had leapt off the barbecue and engulfed my face and body. No one could tell me how bad this was, or how permanent the damage would be.'