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This is a story of a young, innocent, and vibrant girl whose life was changed forever by an unimaginable accident and whose astounding recovery is a testament to the miracles that come to life every day in the Viedma burn center.
Viviana is a six-year old girl from Beni, Bolivia, a community situated deep in the jungle and far away from civilization. Orphaned by the death of both parents, Viviana was taken in as a child of her community and on the day of the accident donned her first dress as part of a village-wide celebration. Her angelic and serene young life was changed forever when her dress caught fire and inflicted third degree burns over 65% of her body, leaving a path of destruction across her entire back, torso, upper thighs, and neck. With no transportation and no medical care in the vicinity, she lay in her tribe for days before a missionary in Cochabamba could fly his plane to the jungle to retrieve her. To survive and endure such unmerciful pain was a sign of the resiliency and courage this child would display over the coming months.
We first met Viviana on our first day in the Viedma burn center and found her lying on her stomach, sedated by medication and yet very aware of her condition and receptive of the intense pain her injuries inflicted. We participated in her first two debridement procedures and witnessed first-hand the dire severity of her condition, as pint after pint of blood was rushed into her body and her core body temperature walked the tight rope between survival and death. In the face of unrelenting pain and with unwavering resolve, Viviana slowly stabilized over the coming weeks and when we left Bolivia, the goal of the medical staff had changed from keeping her alive to giving her the hope of a normal future just like other children her age.
We were deeply touched and relieved by this update we received on Viviana, only three months after we left her:
“I am happy to say that the terrified little six year old who could not even speak Spanish and was flat on her stomach for weeks is now out of the hospital, living in an orphanage in Cochabamba. She visits our clinic every day to have her pressure suit adjusted and the physical therapy clinic to have her physical therapy exercises to minimize the often devastating scars that follow third degree burns. She is now the reining “PRINCESS” of the clinic and everyone’s sweetheart. She is also quite fluent in Spanish and is soaking up everything in sight that a city has to offer. She will be reading and writing before she returns to her jungle village.”
To recover so quickly and miraculously against such overwhelming odds is truly a testament to the strength and ability of the Viedma Burn Center staff. Medical Students for Burn Center Viedma was created with the mission of better enabling this group of doctors, nurses, and therapists to continue working miracles in a well-equipped, safe, and inviting environment. We want to ensure that success stories such as Viviana’s are everyday occurrences at the Viedma Burn Center. We will work hard to guarantee that your donation will give children like Viviana lives filled with love, happiness, and the hope of a better future.
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