GIVE A CHILD A CHANCE

             This cute little munchkin is just one of the hundreds of patients we will have the blessing of helping this year!  Our goal is to improve the lives of burn patients in developing countries around the world through effective rehabilitation.  So many victims survive their burn injury only to have to face disfiguring scars and serious life changing contractures as the skin tries to heal. Burn accidents do happen quickly but often last a lifetime of physical and very emotional agony.    

     At Burn Care International, we work to eliminate as much suffering as we can and to get as much improvement in the skin as possible through hard work and patience on the part of everyone.  So, as soon as the patient has finished their initial skin grafts etc and the skin is ready: the patient is measured, Maria and Juana sew the perfect fit, and the process begins!  Healing does not happen fast in this world of burns and most patients average about two years with us but the hard work is worth it!  

         The whole balance of proper nutrition, intense physical therapy, good hygiene, counseling for the patient and the family, and custom made pressure garments is important for the best possible outcome. We do our best to make the experience as positive as possible for the child and the family.  Juana and Maria see these patients and their families every week and form a very strong bond with them - always encouraging them and offering a place where they feel welcome, where they can ask questions, and where they feel loved.  It's such a crazy world out there and while you would hope that these children and their families would be shown compassion and love after such tragic accidents, unfortunately the parents are often criticized by their peers for being negligent and the children are made fun of at school for wearing their strange pressure garments.  We spend a lot of time encouraging these little families and showing them unconditional love and acceptance.  They also form strong bonds with the other families and patients as they sit in the waiting area each week.  The mothers are a vital part of our success as they help each other, share suggestions, and provide encouragement that things are going to be okay.  It is a very scary time and having a team of people to walk through it with you makes a world of difference.
         This little one is smiling here and we work hard to keep her smiling but the real goal is to do as much as we can to make this experience a distant memory for her when she grows up!  We can not prevent the accident- wish we could- but we do all we can  to GIVE A CHILD A CHANCE to minimize scarring and debilitating contractures so they have a chance to grow up and lead a normal, healthy, and happy life.

BCI Summer Internship

Kourtney and Savannah have just completed their first year of medical school at the University of South Carolina and are participating in the BCI Summer Medical Internship.   The administration of the Viedma Hospital in Cochabamba, Bolivia is very generous and graciously allow my students to work alongside their staff watching, and learning, and assisting.  This summer we have two sessions, one month each,  with a total of five students participating.    This program is in its 5th year and it has been exciting to meet these young potential doctors and watch them learn about medicine in a non-American hospital where they see that even with the lack of funds, medicine, and equipment, the doctors and nurses are able to provide decent care for the patients. It is an eye opening experience and in most cases life changing.   Many of these students will also treat hispanic patients in their practices and this is giving them an up close opportunity to be immersed in the hispanic culture which will make them richer and more well rounded as a physician.

Bolivia staff !!

Maria, Barbara, and Juana

     Juana, Maria, and Barbara are the backbone of the BCI clinic in Bolivia.  Each of these dear ladies are perfectly suited to the ministry and run the office with a compassion and gentleness that calms many a terrified child and parent.   

     By the time a patient has survived their injury, endured the hospitalization for weeks away from their family, suffered from the pain of the treatments and are ready to begin the rehabilitation part, many are traumatized and just the sight of the doorway into any medical office is enough to put fear in their hearts.   Juana, Maria, and Barbara are professionals at gently walking them through the measuring and fitting process and gaining trust.  Over the next year or so, they become like family with the patient and work hard with the parents for the best possible outcome.   Barbara, our dear friend and neighbor from living in Cochabamba moved to South America straight out of college with her husband and has lived there since.   She and Deane raised two kids and are now enjoying their grandchildren.  Barbara was a part of my life when I was burned myself and so she really understands the process of the rehab part of treating a burn and works hard to keep the finances on track and the bills paid so that the work can continue.   Juana is like a sister to me and in fact, she and her daughter Sandra lived with us for almost six years while we were in Bolivia.   Sandra and Maggie grew up together almost as twins and share a close bond with each other.   Juana was also around when I was burned and was the one to take up my suits on the sewing machine as they stretched out and clearly saw first hand the role of pressure garments as the skin heals.   During the time that Juana lived with us she was able to return to school (had only gone through elementary school) and actually has now finished her high school degree as well as a nursing LPN degree.   She is wonderful with the patients and is an expert on fitting the patients properly.  Maria was a gift from God to us.   Six years ago when we were opening the doors to BCI the only thing that was missing was someone to sew!!  A very important part !!   Juana told me of her friend Maria who was a seamstress from her church.   We called Maria to meet with us, she listened to my plan and looked at the pressure garments and after I practically begged her on my hands and knees to at least give it a try, she tentatively said yes (later admitting that she was terrified).......Six years later she is one of the most skilled and capable seamstresses for sewing pressure garments that fit like a glove and we could not operate without her.

     When you pray for the ministry of BCI, please remember to pray for these three ladies!!!

Cleaning out the cobwebs.....

 I read a joke one time  "what happens to websites that are not updated properly?" ..........they get cobwebs!!!   Obviously this blog has plenty of cobwebs because I have neglected it far too long.   It is amazing how something can get moved to the back burner and forgotten.   Creating things like this is not my gift but it is important for the sake of communication so I am happy to say that I am going to clean out the cobwebs and get this back on track........

      On my recent trip to Cochabamba over spring break in April,  I was so happy to be back in the clinic!!   Juana, Maria, and  Barbara do a wonderful job in our BCI office at the Viedma Public Hospital and it is a blessing for me to just watch them interact so lovingly with the patients, display such respect and kindness to the parents,  and stick so closely day after day to the BCI goal of improving the lives of these burn victims.   It is hard to believe that we will cerebrate our sixth anniversary this summer.   God has so richly blessed this ministry and literally brought thousands to our door without any advertisement  or promotion in the city.  Please continue to pray for the patients who have been burned to find their way from the poorest areas of the city and from the countryside to the public city hospital so that we can help them with their therapy!!

On Thursday I will be leaving for a two week trip to Lamb Hospital in Bangladesh. You can view this extraordinary mission hospital on the web at www.lambproject.org It is my desire in Burn Care International to improve the lives of burn victims in poor countries around the world. This trip out to Lamb will be to train the medical staff of the burn/wound/physical therapy departments to measure, fit and use pressure garments to minimize the scarring and contractures that occur with burn injuries. We will also be training a local tailor how to sew the garments and how to work with the staff to produce a good product. I am taking a seamstress from Shriner's Burn Hospital for Children with me, Annie Benick who has unbelieveable sewing skills and is a huge asset to BCI. It will be our goal to use our two week trip to help them set up a simple and effective rehabilitation program. Please pray for this trip for the preparations that need to be made before I leave, for safety for the trip (I do not actually arrive at the hospital until Sunday night), for my contact, Dr Bob Bowers and his family who have served since 1966 as a surgeon in Africa and Asia, for our ability to communicate the importance of consistency with the pressure garment, good nutrition, proper hygiene, and daily physical therapy, and finally that we would be an encouragment to the staff at Lamb and the people that we meet.

A Special "Hola" for Jonathan, Daniel, and Will

Written by MS4BCV

The most touching account described by Daniel, Jonathan, and Will about their experience last summer at Burn Center Viedma involved a little girl named Vivianna. While it’s rightfully their story to tell, we were privy to recent developments in her saga, and wanted to share these new revelations, along with some special video footage, with our founders.

Vivianna was three years old when pushed into an open flame by an older sibling last June. The accident occurred in a remote Indian village in the Bolivian countryside miles from the nearest hospital. As she fell backwards into the fire, her dress ignited and singed her back and buttocks. Because of the seclusion of her village, she lay without medical attention for three days. Once rumor of her accident reached Cochabamba, a medical missionary set out by helicopter to airlift her to Burn Center Viedma. Upon her arrival, Daniel, Jonathan, and Will watched in awe as Dr. Romero and company stripped all layers of tissue from her back down to her musculature, and grafted skin from all over her body to cover her exposed injury. We recently learned from Vivianna’s current care taker that the boy who pushed her into the fire was banished from her village. Unfortunately, we also learned that the village elders met and decided not to allow the now four year old Vivianna to return. Consequently, she is in the care of an American couple volunteering in Cochabamba. She’s learned to speak Spanish in lieu of her native language, and visits the burn center daily for physical therapy to ensure the elasticity of the grafted skin on her back. From what we’ve seen of her she’s nothing but smiles, and from what her care takers say, she’s a bundle of unbridled energy and mischief.

The Birth of a Churango Prodigy

Written by MS4BCV

Anyone who knows Jim is aware of his incredible prowess on the guitar, but apparently this talent is limited to six-stringed instruments. In this clip, Pablo, a fifteen year old boy who is recovering from burns on his chest and arms, does his best to instruct Jim on the finer points of playing the Churango, a ten stringed instrument. While Jim gives it the old “med-school” try, it’s obvious that Pablo is the superior Churango player. Sorry Jim, the video doesn’t lie.