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.