Some Other Patients

But here, I would like to tell you about some of the other patients and their families. There are people here who have family members who have been a patient here for three or four months! Some were burned in house fires like Danielle, who lost two of her children in the fire and almost lost her own life trying to rescue them. She was in the first room just inside the ICU, and Joe was in the second room. Danielle is Black and the fire destroyed much of the pigment of he skin. She was very badly burned, but she is cheered up each day as her family ( her mother or her sister, Erica) come four times a day to encourage her. Erica is so funny and keeps all of us laughing. Danielle didn’t want to leave the comfort of her ICU room to go to another floor when her condition improved. She told her mother, "I’m ugly". Her wise mother said, "There are lots of ugly people in this world, but you are not one of them!" By the time we left Augusta, Danielle was in ReHab walking on the treadmill, praising God, and talking about going home.

One young man was brought in with electrical burns he received in an accident at work. His nylon or polyester clothes were literally melted. He had a very delightful and faithful girl friend who was a pleasure to get to know. While he was there he got skin grafts and had many ups and downs on his way to recovery, but later on we got to see him go home!
　
One day they brought in three men who had received electrical burns at work. When all of their families were there, they filled up the small waiting room. At times like that, we walked down a hall to the main ICU waiting room. There was much more space, a larger TV, coffee, and even blankets and pillows for those who needed a place to crash for the night. This is on the third floor and a long curved wall of windows provide light and a panoramic view.

We learned of one young woman who was burned in a bon fire around Christmastime. Her partner, Baby Jane, was there every day to encourage her and tend to any needs she might have. It’s a long time to have to stay in the hospital from Christmas to the fourth of July! (She was still there when we left on July 2^nd.)


I think the saddest cases were the ones that were brought in because of burns received while trying to make crystal meth! One young man had been there since February and was still there when we left on July 2nd.  His skin has healed but he has internal injuries, perhaps from the chemicals. His parents are divorced, but both of them seemed very nice. They take turns coming to Augusta to stay with their son. His Dad told us that his son had been in jail and he was trying to give him some ‘tough love’ by leaving him in jail to teach him a lesson. As soon as he was released from jail, he went to a hotel and tried to make some crystal meth. It blew up and he was horribly burned. Surely all this pain and suffering will teach him something!

A grown man was brought in because the crystal meth he was making blew up in his face. His partner in crime didn’t want to get involved so he called the injured man’s wife and told her where she could find him, then left him at the end of a road by the highway! In addition to all the burns on his skin, he was blinded in both eyes! His wife said the doctors told her that he would have to have corneal transplants before they could even see the condition of the retina. He was still there when we left.
　
A very distraught woman came in and told us that her sister was badly burned and her house completely burned up because their crystal meth lab blew up. Later, she was advised by some of the other people there to change her story. There were young children at home when the explosion and fire happened. What is so sad to me about these people is that, although their burns will heal, what about their heart and soul? They will go home and then what will they do? Will they be forever changed for the good and stop doing the awful, illegal thing that caused their injury? Or will they just fall back in their old ways, thinking that now that they know what can happen, they will continue making crystal meth, but just try to be more careful??? I can’t help but wonder what will happen to them.

A young black woman was brought in because her father, who had just been released from jail, poured gasoline on her and set her on fire! This was on the local news! They kept this case very quite and guarded in the hospital.

Several people were burned because they thought they were using diesel fuel on fires to burn trash or something outside, but it turned out to be gasoline. All of these people thought that THEY would not get burned!