Severe Burn survivors - Help/ Advice for cousin

No real advice for your specific situation, but I do know that burns are one of the worst things I've encountered when I was a firefighter/emt. shite is horrible and recovery can be very difficult for some. Hope he gets better.

Check with Baton Rouge General outpatient burn clinic for local resources. Also the Phoenix Society. Www.phoenix-society.org
Could be good resource.

I remember as well. That is when Wade Berza (plane crash surviver around SEC championship) was in hospital at same time.. We are in the Lafayette area. Can’t find original post but this is why I posted. Knew someone would remember the post. Thanks CrawKing. If someone could tag original post, it would be appreciated!

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ptsd

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Pffffttt

Damn. Look online also, everybody gives me shite about it but reddit might be a good place and have a support group sub forum. Not the same as an in person group but something that could be used to compliment it.

Burns are horrible and I wouldn’t wish upon my worst enemy. If you don’t mind me asking how did it happen?

LSU vs Ole miss after the game. Small fire. Buddy poured gas and can exploded.. Pretty rough. No facial damage bu 60% body burned. Doing okay now. Really remarkable but tough recovery. Don’t want to get in to much detail bc I am posting just for advice. No negativity plz.

I'm just wondering how much of his mental condition could be from remorse. Seems like it wasn't his direct fault, but perhaps he could have avoided it somehow.

Has he lost his friendship with the guy who started the fire?

I spent a few weeks in a burn center a few years ago (Skin Grafts, Multiple Surgeries, etc..) I can only speak on what helped me but I can point to two things that helped.

1. Normalcy: Once I was relatively healed I just wanted things to get back to normal. I was tired of people trying to coddle me and wanting to constantly talk about it. I just wanted to go back to work and do the things I was previously doing and for people to treat me like they did before the fire.

2. Find a healthy Hobby/Distraction: Fishing, Hunting, Golf, music, anything. Even though it may only provide temporary relief having something you find fun to look forward to and go do helped me greatly.

Just like the physical scars, the mental ones may never completely go away, but over time they get less and less noticeable. I just took it day by day and had enough support and distractions that as time went on it got better.

This just my experience with it, I'd definitely seek professional help from someone if things don't start getting better especially if there was a loss of life involved in the fire. Luckily for me there wasn't

Good Luck

Thanks!

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something to help motivate him though his recovery phase.

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Not sure if this is what you are looking for but google Charles Wood of Dothan Alabama.

An excerpt from his bio is below. He went on to start one of the 1st TV stations in Dothan and became very involved in Bama politics.

Woods was severely injured in a 1944 airplane crash on December 23. He taxied down a runway in Kurmitola, India, carrying 28,000 pounds (12.7 tonnes) of aviation fuel to be delivered in Lulaing, China. After making the trip alone, hundreds of times, on this particular trip, he was flying with a pilot-in-training, Captain Stalmacher, in first seat. Stalmacher erred on take-off, braking too soon causing the airplane to lose speed with too little runway left. The bomber exploded on take-off, and Woods was the only crew member who survived. He suffered severe burns over 70% of his body. The fire erased his face, destroying his nose, eyelids, ears and hands.

Despite severe burns he had a very fulfilling & successful life.