President's Day camp helps young burn victims learn coping strategies
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Xeragel® (XSO-797) - $16.30The nonprofit organization Burn Institute-Inland Empire recently sponsored a camp for 80 burn-injured children over President's Day weekend, the Press-Enterprise reports.
Camp Beyond the Scars invited burn survivors between the ages of 5 and 17 to participate in fun programs that helped them feel less alone, learn coping skills and improve their self-esteem.
Many of the camp leaders and counselors are volunteer firefighters who are well acquainted with the challenges that burn victims often face.
"For children who survive a serious burn injury, permanent scarring, social isolation and emotional trauma can linger well beyond the initial tragedy," said Rick Stone, camp director and firefighter, quoted by the news source. "Camp Beyond the Scars is emotional for us too, and as firefighters we look forward to it all year long."
The Burn Survivor Resource Center reports that an estimated 2.4 million burn injuries occur in the U.S. each year, and that 75,000 of the cases result in hospitalizations.
Victims whose skin has been damaged in such incidents may rely on silicone gel sheeting, which has proven to be effective at lessening the appearance of burn scars.
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