Posted: 10/4/2016
Outreach programs help patients return to daily lives
On a recent Thursday afternoon two burn survivors met in Parkland Memorial Hospital’s Burn Center to talk about how their lives have changed since each was injured in separate house fires, describing what has become their “new normal.”
Reality shifted for the now 42-year old Jeff Patterson on May 3, 2014 when, as a Dallas firefighter, he was critically injured battling a house fire. Patterson survived burns over 48 percent of his body and was hospitalized for nearly five months. Paola Martinez was just 17 when her family home was engulfed in flames in October 2014. Hospitalized for a month, she was burned on her torso, arm and both legs.
“I was hospitalized in the burn intensive care unit for three and a half months, 107 days. The first 42 days I was in a coma. During that period, my wife or my mom was here the entire time,” Patterson said. “My wife became really close to the staff during those late nights. When you’re here that long, you become part of the family.”
That’s why Patterson believes it’s important to periodically visit the Burn Center staff who took care of him during his hospitalization.
“It takes a special type of person to be a nurse, and especially to work in the burn unit,” Patterson said, pausing as he gathered his thoughts. “Sometimes it can be a thankless job and that’s why I like to come back so they can see me now. I weighed 50 pounds less, was unconscious and, well, I want them to see the follow-up.”
As Patterson and Martinez walked the long corridor of Parkland’s Burn Acute Care Unit, several nurses stopped him to ask how he was doing, and check on his wife, Tina. Still others approached Martinez who smiled broadly as she, too, was greeted like family.
Once alone, Patterson and Martinez talked of their long recoveries, sharing how it feels to endure questions, stares and in some cases negative comments that are part of the new normal for burn survivors. Separated in age by two decades and a lifetime of experiences, Patterson and Martinez discussed the common bond that now forever binds them.
“So is it safe to say that every day is a struggle when you wake up and see yourself in the mirror and you’re different than you were before?” Martinez asked.
“I was very fortunate that my helmet and my gear protected my face. It’s a lot different if you were burned on your face because it’s more traumatic dealing with the perception of others,” Patterson said. “Being scarred on my arms, some days I’ll cover them just because I don’t want to deal with it, but most of the time people are curious, especially kids, so I’ll break the ice and tell them what happened. But it becomes the new normal and you have to learn that it’s not going to be the same and you have to learn to adjust.”
Adjusting wasn’t quite as easy for Martinez who had to endure harsh comments when out in the public.
“If my scars weren’t covered there were people who would say things,” she said noting that the majority of the remarks came from adults, not children.
Helping burn survivors cope beyond the hospital walls is paramount for Parkland’s staff. Even after discharge, survivors remain connected with the Burn Center through aftercare programs. Each spring, survivors and their families gather with Burn Center staff at an annual reunion picnic that includes numerous hugs and stories of recovery. The reunion also provides an opportunity to reconnect with nurses who in some instances provided care for weeks or months.
Through a school re-entry program, Burn Center staff visit the schools of young survivors, providing teachers and classmates with the tools needed to support the student’s transition back to the classroom. In addition, a retreat is held each fall for adult burn survivors and family members. Discussions center on challenges that may arise but they also celebrate each other’s success. It is, after all, a family.
“Unlike many injuries, the road to recovery for burn survivors can take months, if not years. That’s why it’s important that our patients and their families know that we are here to support them not just through their hospitalization and clinic appointments, but long after their physical scars have healed,” said Stephanie Campbell, RN, Parkland’s Burn Program Manager.
Fire Prevention Week is October 9 – 15, 2016, and the National Fire Prevention Association is promoting this year’s campaign, “Don’t Wait - Check the Date! Replace Smoke Alarms Every 10 Years,” to better educate the public about the critical importance of knowing how old their smoke alarms are and replacing them once they are 10 years old.
“Three out of five home fire deaths occur in homes with no smoke alarm or no working smoke alarms,” Campbell said. “More than 84 percent of all fire deaths occur in the home. On average, seven people die in U.S. home fires per day. We want to prevent these tragic deaths and injuries.”
Parkland was recently re-verified as an adult and pediatric burn center by the American Burn Association and the Committee on Trauma of the American College of Surgeons. The achievement recognizes Parkland’s dedication and commitment to providing high quality burn care to patients. Parkland has been a verified burn center since 1996 and is the only verified burn center in North Texas.
Established in 1962, the Parkland Burn Center is the second largest civilian burn center in the nation, providing care to more than 2,200 patients annually. Serving North Texas and surrounding areas, this comprehensive burn center is one of only 70 verified burn centers in North America and provides all services from emergency treatment to intensive care to rehabilitation and outpatient follow-up care.
For more information about Parkland, please visit www.parklandhospital.com.