Alejandra, her mom, Vicki, and her younger sister came to be interviewed by me a few weeks back...CLICK HERE to read that post. All of the questions were mostly answered by Vicki because Alejandra still can't talk about her accident. Instead, Alejandra was able to write down her story. Here it is below:
"I'm writing a story of what happened to me.
My name is Alejandra. I am 8-years-old and this happened 6 years ago, when I was 3 years and 2 months old. I had a terrible accident. I was a little girl who liked to explore a lot and wanted to see everything, but sometimes we shouldn't get near things that are dangerous, like electricity, fire, boiling water and when we are little, the kitchen stove and oven and the iron. Basically, anything that our parents tell us not to get near.
I was burned with boiling water on half of my body. The pain was worse than most people ever feel. I had surgery 6 times and this made my entire body hurt. I had to stay in a room all alone, without my parents and I didn't even know why. It seemed like 1,000 years passed while I was alone because everything hurt. I always wanted it to stop, but it never would. My momma could never be with me. I always wanted her beside me, but she had to stay outside and I could only see her through the window. She would stand out there and tell me that she was still with me.
After a lot of time passed, they put me with other children. But, I already felt so alone and I was already so tired that I couldn't move anywhere and I had to just sit still all of the time. I wanted to go to play with the other children, but I couldn't. There were other children like me. There was one little boy that had his hand cut off by the doctor because of his accident and I hated to see him like that. I thought that this would also happen to me, but it didn't. The days passed and I was desperate to go play or hug my momma. My momma could only visit for a short time, then the nurses were so mean and so strict that they would kick out all of the mommas.
One day my doctor came in and called one of the nurses to come with him. He told the nurse to take me to the Operating Room. They took me there and began to operate on me without giving me any anesthesia. It hurt so bad that I didn't think that I could take the pain. I thought that they were removing my skin and I screamed and screamed with all of my strength, calling for my momma, yelling for help and for someone to save me from the pain. After the operation, they put me in a pool of water. I was so scared that it would make my skin hurt worse. One of the doctors was so nice and kept telling me that I was very brave and that it was almost over.
One day, my momma came at night and told me that we were going home. She put on my pijamas and carried me outside where all of my uncles waited for me. I was so happy to go home and thought that I had finished everything. But, I wasn't finished because I couldn't walk, so I had to do three different types of therapies: Physical Therapy, Hydro-Therapy and Pressure Therapy. While doing these therapies, I began to improve, while my skin began to heal. Sometimes I was in so much pain that I couldn't stand for my momma to bathe me with cold water. I wanted to scratch, but couldn't even though my skin itched so badly. They said that it would make my skin grow more keloid scars if I did.
I asked God to help me heal quickly so that I didn't have to take these nasty medicines. I hated when people touched my skin, but I had to go to Physical Therapy. It was so painful, but I went every single day. After Physical Therapy, they would put me in the water for Hydro-Therapy and I would stay in there for 3 hours every day...this was my favorite. I also used Pressure Therapy and this was what I hated the most. It was a suit that was very tight over my whole body. Sometimes I felt that I couldn't ever breathe or move well. It was like wearing a girdle. But, I used it for 2 years 24 hours per day. During those two years, I was brave and did all of the therapies, like I was supposed to.
I lost 3 years of my childhood. I couldn't play with any children because I couldn't be in the dirt, I couldn't be in the sun, I couldn't run because I couldn't sweat in my suit. I was prohibited to play, but all that changed when I went to Kinder and my momma decided to take me out of the horrible suit. I didn't have to go anymore to my therapies. I was afraid that they would hurt me again.
Even until today, I carry the scars on my body and the pain in my soul. Only I know of the pain that I went through. I am a happy girl and have many friends. Now I can play, run, and dance. I have a little sister that I can play with 24 hours per day, my momma and my daddy by my side and I am happy.
-Alejandra"
CLICK HERE to visit BCI's website to learn more about our important ministry.
-You can DONATE ONLINE by scrolling to the bottom of the website and clicking the DONATE button.
-Or you can MAIL A CHECK to:
Burn Care International
419 Woodland Drive
Florence, SC 29501.
All donations are tax-deductible and will change the life of a burned victim!!!
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