Treating Eliset, Mirko, and Maite for Burn Injuries
In March 2016, World of Children Founders Harry and Kay Leibowitz and World of Children supporters are visiting three World of Children Honorees to observe their work first-hand and see how your donations have made a difference in the lives of children. World of Children Celebrity Ambassador Stephanie March joined them for the first two legs of their journey.
Second Stop – Chile, to learn more about Dr. Jorge Rojas’s work with children suffering from burn injuries
Yesterday’s blog talked about the risks of burn injuries to poor children living in the developing world. Today, we’re sharing the stories of a few children affected by burn injuries whose lives have been radically altered because they were able to receive treatment free of charge at World of Children Honoree Dr. Jorge Rojas‘s COANIQUEM.
Eliset
When Eliset was very young, a teapot with hot water fell on her, scalding the skin all over her body. She received treatment from COANIQUEM for the burns, including compression suits. Now ten years old, Eliset has come a long way but the scars that still trouble her the most are the ones on her scalp. She will soon receive a special surgery at COANIQUEM that will let her hair grow again.
Mirko
When Mirko was younger, he fell onto burning coal and burned his arms, hands , legs. He lost some of his fingers. His family traveled from Peru so he could have surgery at COANIQUEM. The organization housed him at its Casabierta facility during his rehabilitation therapy and he attended the hospital school so he wouldn’t fall too far behind in his studies. All of his treatment, including his stay at Casabierta, was provided free of charge to his family. Mirko has shown a desire to give back to the organization that’s done so much for him and helps with fundraising when he can. He will continue to return to COANIQUEM for ongoing treatment until he is fully grown.
Maite
When Maite was 15 months old, she put both of her hands on the hot stove in her home. Both hands were severely burned. She needed extensive treatment and surgery for the burns, including operations to “stretch” the scars on her hands to keep her range of motion. Along with the surgery, she is in rehabilitative therapy to ensure that as she develops, she can continue to use her hands. She will continue to receive surgeries and treatment at COANIQUEM until she is fully grown.
Learn more about Dr. Rojas and COANIQUEM on his Honoree page >>
Check back tomorrow for updates from the trip!