'She rallied round me and supported me': Katie Piper shares throwback snaps as she pays tribute to her sister Suzy for helping her through her acid attack recovery

• e-mail

Katie Piper has paid a heartfelt tribute to her sister Suzy for supporting her through her acid attack recovery.

The TV personality, 39, was left fighting for her life when her obsessive ex-boyfriend Daniel Lynch arranged for Stefan Sylvestre to throw sulphuric acid at her in 2008. 

And taking to Instagram on Tuesday, Katie shared a duo of throwback snaps as she thanked her younger sibling for 'rallying around and supporting her' through her toughest time.

Thank you: Katie Piper has paid a heartfelt tribute to her sister Suzy for supporting her through her acid attack recovery

Katie's photographs, which sees her beaming alongside her sister, highlighted her severe facial injuries in the aftermath of the attack, with one seeing her in a plastic mask she had to wear to help with her burns. 

Captioning the posts, Katie shared how grateful she was that her sister gave up her time to help their parents to look after her, with Katie recalling a girls' trip to Greece they had.

She penned: 'My sister gave up her entire social life to help my parents with my recovery, she rallied round me and supported me becoming my best friend just like when we were little girls again. 

Shocking: The TV personality, 39, was left fighting for her life when her obsessive ex-boyfriend Daniel Lynch arranged for Stefan Sylvestre to throw sulphuric acid at her in 2008

'Around 3 years in she went on her first holiday in years to Kavos with her girl mates, I’d become attached to her and she was often my only company outside my parents.

'Her friends had made these t-shirts for their trip (we share the same sense of humour) so she got me this one made as a joke as my grandparents cottage was the only place (aside from the hospital) I felt safe to venture out too. It made us all laugh and I wore it the entire time she was on the holiday.'

Her post continued: 'Recovery is never something you can predict, it’s painful and uncertain, full of ups and downs but one thing I took solace in during my recovery and perhaps more so now in hindsight, is that I was not alone.

Supporter: Taking to Instagram on Tuesday, Katie shared a duo of throwback snaps as she thanked her younger sibling for 'rallying around and supporting her' through her toughest time

'And that’s not to say that I was always surrounded by people, but I had support in many forms and it was a huge part of me recovering mentally whilst my body recovered physically. It was a massive motivation of me wanting to start @KPFoundation with the goal of hosting retreats, allowing other survivors to come together and see that they are not alone on their journey to recovery.

'The journey of meeting others who are going through shared experiences, eventually allows you to feel comfortable on your own.

'“The greatest thing in the world is to know how to belong to oneself.”'

Tribute: Captioning the posts, Katie shared how grateful she was that her sister gave up her time to help their parents to look after her, with Katie recalling a girls' trip to Greece they had

Model and TV presenter Katie had to wear a mask after the attack and needed 40 operations to treat her severe burns in a long and painstaking process which included pioneering surgery which completely removed the damaged skin from her face and replaced it with a substitute. 

In July 2019, 12 years after the attack, she had further surgery to cauterize the blood vessels in her left eye. 

She was again taken to hospital for emergency surgery in August last year after she was left in 'extreme pain' and her husband Richard Sutton noticed a black spot in her eye.

While just last month, she opened up about her 'empowering hair transplant' after a life-changing acid attack left her permanently scarred 

Attacker: Daniel Lynch (pictured), who ordered the attack on Katie (right), cannot be considered for release until 2025

Awful: Before the attack, Katie was a model and aspiring TV presenter. She is pictured before the attack 

In her heart-rending victim impact statement in the aftermath of the attack, Katie said: 'When the acid was thrown at me, it felt like I was burning in hell. It was an indescribable, unique, torturous pain.

'I have lost my future, my career, my spirit, my body, my looks, my dignity – the list goes on.

'All I am left with is an empty shell. A part of me has died that will never come back. This is worse than death.'

Katie was again taken to hospital for emergency surgery in August last year (pictured) after she was left in 'extreme pain' and her husband Richard Sutton noticed a black spot in her eye

Since the ordeal Katie has rebuilt her life, featuring on numerous TV shows, including a 2009 documentary about the impact of the attack.

She has also took part in the hit BBC show Strictly Come Dancing in 2018 and launched the Katie Piper Foundation to raise awareness for other victims of burns and other disfigurement attacks and injuries.

This year she was awarded an OBE for charity and burns services in the New Year Honours.

Meanwhile, the star is set to launch a book and publishing imprint, called 'The Unseen', to shed light on untold survivor stories.

Launching with three real-life memoirs telling of overcoming adversity and unwavering hope, The Unseen will empower readers to own their stories and know that they too deserve to be seen. 

Terrifying: In her heart-rending victim impact statement in the aftermath of the attack, Katie said: 'When the acid was thrown at me, it felt like I was burning in hell. It was a torturous pain'

New focus: Meanwhile, the star is set to launch a book and publishing imprint, called 'The Unseen', to shed light on untold survivor stories