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.

The Discomforts of Home

Written by MS4BCV

Regardless of the perils faced during the course of a long and stressful day, one always has the comfort of a hot shower to look forward to; a few minutes of warmth and solace in which to forget about the day’s trials and tribulations. As if life at the burn center wasn’t uncomfortable enough, the children can’t even depend on a warm soak to sooth their misfortunes. Instead, their weekly bath consists of a lawn chair and a bucket of water. This footage is of Sarah, a four year old girl who was burned on her forehead when her brother tipped a boiling pot of water onto her and her older sister Maribel. Consistent with most events for the children at the burn center, her bath is obviously very traumatic. One thing that the camera doesn’t capture is the violence with which Sarah is shivering throughout the process. During her bath, we discovered that towels and baby shampoo are two luxuries the center is forced to do without. As is visible in this clip, they use hand soap to wash Sarah, and then dry her with bed sheets.

Country Boy

Written by MS4BCV

Last Friday, the burn center was transformed into a trauma surgery room. We gasped as we watched Dr. Romero unwrap a 12 year old boys right leg. It was obvious this was no burn victim. His skin had been ripped to shreds, and every muscle in his thigh was exposed. With our well developed "Spanglish" we were able to decipher the word "Vaca" meaning cow which was the demise of this young man. He was mauled by a long horn while working on his family's farm. Because his diet consisted of the typical rice and potatoes of a poor Bolivian family he had absolutely no fat on his legs. Because his condition was very fragile, it was vital that Dr. Romero knew the exact state of his health. At this moment Dr. Romero turned to us and asked MS4BCV to provide the finances for his lab work in hopes of his survival throughout the weekend- only $25. We are able to see first hand how every single dollar counts down here. Someone's sacrifice saved this young man's life. Yesterday we saw him, and he was alert, infection free and stable. We are waiting until Friday in hopes that he will be strong enough to survive surgery.

El Presidente

Written by MS4BCV

Evo, named after Evo Morales the current president of Bolivia , was recently mentioned by the girls in one of their blogs. While the girls continue to do an outstanding job serving children like Evo, we have returned home, and now have the capacity to upload the numerous videos we shot at the burn center. This in mind, I thought it only appropriate to share the impact that Evo had on our experience in Cochabamba.

Two years old, he lay flat on his stomach with his right arm and leg tied to his crib to prevent him from rolling on his back. He was sedated to alleviate the pain of the burns he suffered on his butt, and the debridement that followed to expedite their healing. Although the exact cause of his burns was never revealed, it was speculated that they were a result of a custom of burning a child’s rear-end with coals to quell the onset of diarrhea. He had been abandoned by both his mother and father, and was under the supervision of his two uncles at the time of his injury. Aside from his burns, he was severely malnourished. He was covered by what could best be described as a tent of blankets constructed to keep him warm while preventing direct contact with his exposed burns.

Our first day at Burn Center Viedma, the sight of his hazy brown eyes peering up at us from beneath this heap of covers was overwhelming. All that he wished to say, but was yet unable, was written with the mastery of Whitman in the expressions on his face. In each wrinkle of his brow and twist of his lip I saw the fear, frustration, hunger, pain, and solitude that defined his brief existence. Yet as my eyes began to water and I started to slip into hopelessness, he extended his tiny hand and wrapped it around my finger. With this gesture, Evo introduced me to reality. His simple touch made all that was composed within the poignant expressions of his face tangible. Once accepted as concrete, hopelessness gave way to empowerment. "We can help you", I thought silently to myself.

The day of our departure from Cochabamba we stopped at the burn center to say goodbye to the children. Fully recovered and fifteen pounds heavier, Evo was found alone playing on the floor. Grasping the same finger he had three weeks prior, he led me on a walk through the halls of the hospital. The agony that had previously been portrayed on his gaunt face was replaced by smiles and demands for more food. Yet the time came to say goodbye, and I led him back to where I found him earlier in the day. I gave him a hug, said so long, sat him down and turned to walk away. I fought looking back with every ounce of my judgment, yet as I rounded the corner it was unavoidable. Two outstretched arms, a face furrowed with disapproval, and tears streaming down his chubby cheeks. It’s an image that’s burned into my psyche. I was abandoning him, much as his mother and father had, and although our brief presence in his life harbored a fraction of the influence of a parent, the statement in his expression will haunt me forever.

The Great Fidel

Written by MS4BCV

Fidel is a 10 year old boy who has been waiting since march for reconstructive surgery on his horribly scared face. Physicians from wake forest put in a skin expander in march and it was on wednesday that Dr. Romero performed his reconstructive surgery. This gave him skin that looked as if it had never been burned on his lower face and neck. Today when we arrived at the burn center we realized how much this young boy has been through already in his life. Not only was he burned, lives in an orphanage, but he is now undergoing even more surgery in hopes of a normal life one day. We know that the strength that these children possess come from a source that we will never understand. These kids have no insurance, no family, minimal hygeine, and they undergo traumas and insecurites that we would never survive. It really makes us greatful for the life we have been given. This confirms our mission to help those who have greater needs than our own.

Toys, Toys, Toys!

Written by MS4BCV

Every day we discover things that we wouldn't think twice about that are needed here. Anai is about 3 years old and her surgery on Friday was a big wake up call for us. The worst part of the surgery was not that she woke up twice during it crying for her mother, but that her surgery could have been prevented. After she was burned on her arms, her parents neglected to take her to physical therapy or to make her wear her burn suit so that she could heal properly. She developed awful scars and her skin was like leather. Her arm was permanently bent so that she could no longer use it. Now, Anai has to have even more surgery to try and fix her arm so that she is not disabled. This morning we walked into the burn center and immediately wanted to see how she was doing. We saw her laying flat on her back with both of her arms tied to the crib so that she cannot tear off her bandages from surgery. She has no entertainment except for the white ceilings and the nurses who can occasionally talk to her. This is where we are helping, not only with our time, but with the things that this fundraiser has allowed us to purchase. We are buying toys, blankets, and things for the kids who are confined to their cribs until their skin has healed. It is a great joy when you see how easy it is to make their lives a little better.

We're Not in Kansas, Toto!

Written by MS4BCV

Over the last three days, we have seen many surgeries ranging from minor to life-threatening. On our first day in the hospital, we met a 15 month old boy who had fallen into a fire of hot coals. Unable to get himself out, he lay burning as his intoxicated parents neglected to notice. His palms are destroyed by deep third degree burns exposing the muscles, and his hands may have to be amputated. Second and third degree burns cover his body and the right half of his face. We are scheduled to participate in skin graft surgery tomorrow in an attempt to recover the skin on his face, eyelid and ear.

On the other side of the operating room door, there are two of our favorite children. Natalia and Evo are about the same age and equally bossy. They have become as much of a part of the burn center as the nurses and doctors. Both came in malnourished and frail. Now, they are plump, full of spirit and always looking for a hand to hold. They make us forget about the suffering that fills each room until we hear the whimpering and crying of a new patient who has just come out of surgery calling for his mother. The children are left with only white coats to attempt to comfort them. Parents are no where to be found due to the strict visitation rules and the inability to afford the stay in the city while their child is undergoing treatment.

Within the first week at the hospital, we have already noticed "luxury" items that the children desperately need since they share the same few toys and are confined to their beds for most of the day. Next week, we will head to the Concha, or market, to shop for items that will put smiles on these sad faces.

I Feel Like I'm at Home

Written by MS4BCV

We arrived this weekend to Cochabamba after many crazy adventures in the airport: such as 24 hours of travel time, almost missing our flight, altitude sickness and getting off the plane in rainbows and capris only to find out it's 32 degrees in La Paz (see picture). Now that we are here, we think it is well worth the journey. After getting off the plane standing in the wrong customs line, the first thing we thought we were asked was "were you chewing?" We had no idea what the woman meant - it was at that moment that we knew we were no longer in America. Later, that same day, Jessica slept on the sidewalk next to the taxis and due to the altitude sickness, Ashley stated that she felt "right at home" being the only blond in the airport of Bolivians. We think that we were suffering from a lack of sleep after we tried to get on wrong plane twice, making our flight 5 minutes before take-off.

Enough about travel. Today was our first day at the burn center. At this moment, we really felt as though our trip had begun. These children are a different kind of beautiful. We almost forget the language barrier because these children just need someone to hold their hand. We are just skimming the surface of what we are going to learn about these children, and we have already decided that we want to take them all home with us. Today, we helped put the compression suits on the children and tried to show them that we were there to help. There were lots of tears and smiles, and we are so excited to see what the next three weeks hold. As we learn, you will learn.

We've Reached a Decision

Written by MS4BCV

After two weeks spent assessing the needs of Burn Center Viedma, we’ve reached a decision on how to best utilize the funds that were so generously donated to MS4BCV. One of the most startling aspects of surgery at the burn center is the lack of reliable equipment to monitor vital signs during the course of an operation. The current monitor cuts in and out of service, and the validity of the data it presents when functional is questionable at best. Given that anesthetizing children is an extremely delicate pursuit, and the majority of children must be put under general anesthesia, the absence of adequate equipment for monitoring vital signs makes surgery at the burn center an extremely risky endeavor. Many times the only way the anesthesiologist knows for certain that the child’s heart is still beating is to use a stethoscope. Further more, if a child’s heart was to stop during a surgery, the OR lacks a defibrillator, which greatly inhibits the ability to resuscitate. Although Dr. Romero and staff are well aware of these inadequacies, they are unable to acquire new equipment since the hospital is federally funded. Currently the government has deemed other areas of health care in Bolivia a priority, so the burn center continues to go without. Sadly, it is the children who suffer, and pay the price in preventable scarring or deformities due to rushed procedures, infections due to delayed surgeries, or in some cases death.

Based on these observations, and input from our predecessors, we felt the best way for MS4BCV to uphold our mission of service to Burn Center Viedma was to purchase a new monitor complete with EKG and defibrillator for the OR. Given our lack of knowledge concerning this equipment, we enlisted the help of Dr. Luis Quiroga, a family practitioner who received his medical training at the University of Cincinnati and who practiced in Ohio for over thirty years. We accompanied Dr. Quiroga to numerous medical supply stores throughout the city until we found the equipment that met our requirements. He has guaranteed us that we have chosen the best monitor possible. We would again like to thank all those who so generously donated to this cause so that a purchase of this magnitude could be made. Because of your generosity, lives will be saved.

Dr. Romero

Written by MS4BCV


Growing up in a medical family, I was constantly reminded that medicine is a pursuit of the heart more so than the mind. Dr. Romero has been the director and chief surgeon of Burn Center Viedma for over twenty years. Although he continues to explore and improve his craft, the dedication that has defined his tenure in such a traumatic and stressful position has undoubtedly been driven by his heart. At sixty-five years of age, he has obvious aches and pains. Currently he is unable to lift his left shoulder above forty-five degrees, suffers from gastric ulcers, and today was battling a bout of gastroenteritis. Even while vomiting between surgeries he refused to concede his position of responsibility. Following this morning’s procedures, one of which was a debridement of the third degree burns suffered by an eighteen month old baby, we found an exhausted and dehydrated Dr. Romero seated next to the child’s crib. Of all that Dr. Romero has taught Jason, Jim, and I over the past few weeks, perhaps the most significant lesson is further evidence that medicine truly is a pursuit of the heart.

Staff Lunch

Written by MS4BCV

Siesta, according to Webster’s Dictionary, is a mid day rest, and according to Cochabambans it is a reason to make lunch the most important meal of the day. Not long into our Bolivian excursion, did we realize that lunch, not dinner, is the most important event of the day. Lunch is a very leisurely meal in this country and as Americans we have to occupy ourselves with various activities to avoid the nap that is also a staple of many Latinos. Most businesses seem to shut down from the hours of noon to about 4 to ensure that everyone has ample time to siesta.

The above noted, putting together a lunch for the enter Burn Center Viedma staff was a goal of ours from the first day we arrived. Being able to invite the staff to a lunch shows our support of their work and further, their acceptance of our invitation means that they have also accepted us into their group. With the help of Cindy, we were able to set up such a lunch with the hospital staff and, interestingly enough, we left the choice of food up to the locals.

This past Monday we had the lunch and it went wonderfully. We (note: whenever I say “we” spoke to Dr. Romero I mean we smiled and nodded with some occasional Spanglish, the actually speaking/translating was done by Cindy Jackson, thanks!!) were able to tell Dr. Romero about the enormous support that the University of South Carolina School of Medicine had generated for his burn center in Cochabamba. The meal was a popular Bolivian dish called “picante de pollo y lengua” and included Tongue, Chicken, and freeze dried potatoes among other things, and of course some more smiling, nodding, and the obligatory acceptance of second helpings (I later realized that I was the only one suckered into second helpings of Tongue). Throughout the meal Dr. Romero was able to communicate to us some major equipment and personnel issues that he deals with day to day. First off the government only allows him to have the use of an anesthesiologist for three hours every morning, and when that time is up the day’s procedures are too. He stated that if he had access to a full time anesthesiologist he could operate all day instead of just in the morning. Dr. Romero also expressed concern that we would think of his techniques as “barbaric.” In fact, we were very impressed with his innovation and adaptation to working with a low budget and lack of certain tools that he described as “essential” in an American operating room. By the lunch’s end we had decided that buying a patient monitor for the OR would be a very worthy use of MS4bcv’s funds. As of now, patients’ vitals are not precisely known which is potentially detrimental to the well-being of any patient.

Thanks to our midday meal with the hospital staff, we were able to strengthen the relationship between the burn center and the USC SOM community. We received lots of thanks from Dr. Romero for our interest in his burn center and the fundraising efforts of everyone back home.

Lunch at El Cristo

Written by MS4BCV


We were up early our first Saturday in Cochabamba to take the children staying at Viedma Burn Center’s extended care home for a picnic at the Cristo. Those staying at the home are still recovering from significant and disfiguring burns, but do not require continued hospitalization. Each has been away from their family for many months, and in some cases years. A few have been abandoned by their parents due to their marred appearance or the expense of medical bills for the treatment of their burns. During our excursion we had an incredible time with all of them, and were touched by the way, in the absence of their immediate families, they functioned as a family unit. We continue to be amazed by their resiliency, and have been deeply moved by their ability to maintain their child-like innocence and energy amid such harrowing circumstances.

All Alone

Written by MS4BCV


When you step into the hall of Burn Center Viedma you immediately hear the sound of the children; a hodgepodge of laughing, crying, and an occasional scream. As you round the corner, you are met by those who are healthy enough to be out of their beds. After navigating their greetings of hugs, “holas” and their IV poles you see those who are still recovering from their most recent surgeries. In the midst of their pain they manage to conjure a smile and give a high five. The most tragic aspect of their experience at the Burn Center is not the anguish caused by their burns, the trauma of their surgeries, or the pain that follows, but the absence of their parents to comfort them. Except for the nurses, who are constantly pricking them with needles and hooking them up to their IVs, they are all alone. Every so often you hear one cry out for mama and its almost unbearable.

We Made It

Written by MS4BCV


Our lay-over in La Paz began at 5:30am after a flight from Miami that lasted the night. We spent the first portion of our stay getting through customs, acquiring our bags, and checking them once again for our flight to Cochabamba scheduled to depart at 7:50pm. We then hunkered down on the cold tile floors to catch up on the sleep we had missed the night before. After a few cups of Coca tea, a couple of meals from the Burger King, and a pep-talk from some Irish travelers (who coincidently had recently acquired their MDs) we decided to venture into the city. Apparently the only traffic regulation in Bolivia is to drive as fast as possible at oncoming cars. Although Jason was pumping his "back seat brake", it didn't seem to slow us down, and we continued to fly toward the city. Once we arrived, we had just enough time to peruse the goods at the witches market, visit San Francisco Cathedral, and inhale enough exhaust fumes to make Al Gore weep. We didn't experience any altitude sickness until we ran across four lanes of highway to get what our cab driver described as the "perfect" picture of La Paz. At eight-thirty last night we arrived safely in Cochabamba only to discover that my backpack had not made it, although one exactly like mine had. Jason had noticed the potential for this mix-up to occur in La Paz given that I and fellow traveler Erin O’Brien had the same backpack. He had warned Erin, who had navigated customs before we had, NOT TO GRAB THE WRONG BAG! Unfortunately Ms. O’Brien has a hard time taking advice, so Jim, Jason and I used her Suave "two-in-one" conditioner/shampoo for our shower this morning. In any event, we made it safely, and our focus has now shifted to our mission of service at Viedma Burn Center. We all feel so blessed to have this opportunity, and are so excited to get started tomorrow.