5-month-old Belkis received second degree burns when her sister accidentally ignited the hammock Beliks was napping in with a stick from the cooking fire.

SAN JOSE DE PARE, Honduras – When 5-month-old Belkis was accidentally burned and struggling to survive, her mother had no choice but to hold her tightly and start walking.

Their home in San Jose de Pare, a remote village near Comayagua, Honduras lies about 45 miles from the closest doctor. After three hours of walking and another two on a bus, mother and daughter finally arrived in the capital, Tegucigalpa, desperate to see a doctor.

Fortunately for Belkis, Tegucigalpa is home to a one-of-a-kind pediatric burn rehabilitation center, Fundación Cristiana de Asistencia a Quemados (Christian Foundation for the Assistance of Burn Victims). The non-profit, funded solely through individual contributions, offers free medical services to children from all over the country.

Operation Blessing recently helped the center’s ability to care for these young patients by coordinating a donation of much-needed, high quality thread from Standard Textile, a healthcare apparel manufacturer. This thread is integral in creating the custom-made, volunteer-sewn garments that cover raw burns and allow them to heal. The flexible thread also yields the perfect amount of pressure on burn wounds.

Belkis' burns were treated with a special garment created with high-quality thread, which OBI arranged to be donated to the burn center in Tegucigalpa, Honduras.

“The garment must create uniform pressure to the wound and the quality of thread is a large component of this,” said Angela Cruciano, OBI’s Health Program Manager. “It is essential to burn rehabilitation… because garments help control the growth of abnormal scar tissue in the burned areas.”

Belkis needed the unique garments and the center’s other resources to help treat her second degree burns that she received when her 2-year-old sister accidentally ignited the hammock Belkis was napping in with a stick from the cooking fire.

Fortunately, her mother was able to grab Belkis from the burning hammock and shield her face, but blistering burns covered the rest of her daughter’s head.

In one of the brightly-colored, child-centered rooms at the center, Belkis received the care she needed.

A member of Operation Blessing’s Honduran staff helped the attending doctor secure a custom cap over the ointments and medications covering Belkis’ sensitive burns.

“The burn center's staff was delighted with the donation,” Cruciano said. “It allows the clinic staff to work on the crucial task of caring for the children.”

HOW YOU CAN HELP
Be a part of OBI's ongoing medical relief efforts by making an online contribution to help those suffering from extreme poverty and sickness.

 

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