From Ashes to Blossoms: A Nurse's Journey to Healing Through Gardening

Mon Jan 05 2026 07:12:17 GMT+0200 (Eastern European Standard Time)

After losing her home to the Eaton Fire, Missi Dowd-Figueroa transformed her grief into a healing journey through gardening. Planting sunflowers and other flowers on her devastated property not only brought color back to her life but also gave her hope for the future.

Missi Dowd-Figueroa, a nurse and mother from Altadena, California, lost her family home in the Eaton Fire last January. Devastated by the loss, she decided to turn her grief into a healing mission by planting sunflowers and other flowers on her barren lot. This act of gardening not only brought vibrancy back to her life but also symbolized hope as she prepares to rebuild her home. With the community's support, she has begun construction on her new house, igniting a sense of renewal after such personal and communal tragedy.

ALTADENA, Calif. (AP) — Missi Dowd-Figueroa brought life back to the fire-ravaged plot where her home once stood -- one sunflower at a time.

The registered nurse and mother of three lost her 1898 farm-style house in the Eaton Fire, one of two catastrophic wildfires that devastated the Los Angeles area last January, obliterating communities and displacing thousands.

A year later, many residents are still grappling with grief and numerous challenges in rebuilding their homes. “The Altadena I know and love is gone,” Dowd-Figueroa shared. “Everything burned down — my dentist, my pharmacy — all of it’s gone. But there’s still something about Altadena that feels like Altadena now, even though there are no homes.”

Facing her trauma head-on, Missi found solace in planting seeds that would grow into a flourishing garden. Despite the challenges, her garden became a symbol of resilience and hope.

Before the fire, Dowd-Figueroa had enjoyed a decade in her four-bedroom home, making the loss all the more poignant. “I spent several days digging through the ashes just looking for his little urn, and I never found it,” Dowd-Figueroa recalled, referring to her father's ashes lost in the blaze.

Determined to reclaim her happiness, she began planting sunflowers and a few other flower seeds at her empty lot, hoping to purify the soil while also creating beauty. “I was already going there every day crying, so I was like, ‘Why am I just sitting here?’” she explained.

Her garden flourished for several months, transforming the barren land into a colorful display of approximately 500 vibrant flowers. “It was really healing just to come back and tend the space where I lived for the longest time in my life,” she said, as butterflies and small creatures returned to the area.

With your support, construction began on her new home, reinforcing her ongoing journey of healing through trauma. “Prior to this, I was just so depressed, literally sobbed every day,” she expressed. “It just feels like now there’s a place that exists. It will happen. We can do this.”