"
Every one of these patients is family," —Chris
Monahan, RN, a former firefighter who’s been a
nurse at the Clark Burn Center for the past 11
years.
Serious burns leave serious scars, outside and inside.
Children are especially vulnerable: Catherine was only 5 when playing with
fire led to burns over 75 percent of her body. At age 2,
Alieshaia was burned almost as badly by
scalding bath water. Gabrielle was just
8 when she and three members of her family were
severely burned by
a propane tank
explosion that
also destroyed their
new
home.
Now in middle school—and fast friends—Catherine,
Alieshaia and Gabrielle
continue their long process of healing under the
protective wing of University Hospital's Clark Burn
Center, the only NYS designated major burn
care center for 27 counties in Upstate New
York. Each year, more than 100 patients are admitted
to the center for intensive burn care, and well
over 2,500 continue their treatment as outpatients.
"Every one of these patients is family," says Chris
Monahan, R.N., a former firefighter who's been a
nurse at the Clark Burn Center for the past 11
years. Monahan forms especially close bonds with
pediatric patients. "I think they appreciate that
I've always been honest with them about their
treatments and what lies ahead," Monahan says.
"These kids don't like surprises."
Also strengthening the bond between
Clark Burn Center nurses and their young
patients is a much-anticipated annual getaway to
the Camp for Burn Survivors in Painted Post, NY.
A joint venture by University Hospital and Strong
Memorial Hospital in Rochester, the camp is like a
high-spirited family reunion for burn center
patients and staff.
As much as he enjoys volunteering at the camp,
Monahan works feverishly to help its enrollment
decline. "If you work with burn patients," he says,
"you become passionate about education, because
education leads to prevention, and the vast
majority of burns are preventable."
