Alice, Camp Samba

Alice at the beginning of her laser treatment regimen.

Alice after 2 years of laser treatments at our laser facility at Camp Samba.

Alice came to us in 2020 at the age of 8, after a household gas line explosion left over 60% of her body covered in third degree burns. Local doctors were worried they wouldn’t be able to save her right eye or help her regain full mobility in her hands with skin grafts alone, until she found the Burn Advocates Network facilities in São Paulo. With our state-of-the-art ablative CO2 lasers we were able to help Alice minimize her scarring, and save her eyesight as well as the mobility in her hands. Without access to our revolutionary technology Alice would have had to wait for compatible skin donors and a years long grafting and recovery process, with no guarantees that such grafts would abate her mobility and pain issues that come with such deep scarring. Skin grafts are the standard course of treatment for burn scars such as Alice’s, unfortunately these treatments come with their own burdens. These grafts often create new scars, and come with a greatly increased risk of complications compared to alternative treatments like our lasers. With our help, Alice was able to undergo a series of non-invasive laser treatments. While our doctors were able to treat her physical scars, our wonderful team at Camp Samba were able to heal her spirit. Our pediatric burn camps are dedicated to the rehabilitation of pediatric burn survivors, and with the help of our wonderful doctors and program leaders as well as fellow survivors Alice was able to begin a new life after her accident. She was able to meet more kids that understood what it’s like to adjust to life after such profound and devastating injuries. Our programs helped her regain her mobility in her hands by playing music, dancing, cooking, swimming, and even rock climbing and ropes courses. Thanks to our wonderful team and our burn camps like Camp Samba, Alice is back to dancing and playing her favorite instruments just as she did before. Now, she returns every year to share her experiences. She prides herself on being able to provide the same level of comfort and inspiration that she once relied on to other children in her position. Because of these experiences, Alice hopes to continue being an ambassador for pediatric burn survivors and to continue helping children whose lives have been upended by burn injuries.