“People are going to talk about you until the day you die, the best thing to do is ignore folks.”
From the 2012 Youtube video Kenny posted about how he was burned.
Kenny Matthews better known as “Ken Dawg” to his 2 million followers collectively on all his social media platforms is showing everyone how to be unapologetically themselves. He loves to dance, make funny Tik Tok videos and share his personal experiences on Youtube, Instagram, and Twitter. “I can still do what you do if not better, and I can still Dougie my ass off,” Kenny said in his 2012 video explaining how he was burned.
Before the tragic accident at 3 years old, Kenny explains how his family remembered him for being a good kid but cursed a lot. He was like any other child and enjoyed playing with toys. He lived with his mother and grandfather in Los Angeles, California. One day when his mother went out to run some errands she left him at home with his grandfather. He remembers being in front of the TV and playing with his toys when he heard the glass window in the living room shatter and a burst of flames violently centering in on him and his grandfather. The only way out was through the same window where the object was thrown, so his grandfather grabbed him and ran through the fire to escape out the window. Sadly, his grandfather was pronounced dead due to smoke inhalation.
85% of Kenny’s body is burned it has affected his hands, chest, and feet. After over 100 surgeries Kenny is thankful that the doctors were able to heal and fix his appearance the best they could. His grandmother’s positive attitude and the strength she instilled in him over the years have helped him become the man and leader he is today. But never the less he isn’t a burn victim but a burn survivor.
As a survivor, Kenny experienced a plethora of adversities he uses his social media presence to spread love and destroy ignorance. This is the real reason I think he is a noteworthy leader. On his Instagram, you can see him doing what he loves and dancing to songs while letting all the internet trolls know he doesn’t care what you say about him. He is going to live his life every day like it’s his last and won’t waste a minute listening to people who think otherwise. Personally from following him through the years he has taught me how to be my authentic self in spaces where I would second guess if I could. In a conversation last year I had with him he told me some words I would never forget and that was to “Stay positive and love yourself first.”
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