Alvaro Llanos and Shawn Simons

(Pictured above with our Medical Advisor, Ruth Rimmer M.D.)

When one of their classmates committed arson upon the freshman dormitory of Seton Hall University, roommates Shawn Simons and Alvaro Llanos Jr. were left with devastating burns. With each other’s help they were able to escape, sustaining serious injuries in the process. Alvarro was one of 4 survivors who left the scene in critical condition, leaving him in a medically induced coma. When Alvaro finally awoke from his coma, it was Shawn he saw waiting for him. He had spent every day by Alvarro’s side, praying for his friend’s recovery. Over the process of their healing, they became each other’s strength. While their community rallied around them, only they understood each other’s struggles of adjusting to life after such a profoundly traumatic injury. Facing their new world together, they were able to return to campus the following semester; where the student community welcomed them with open arms. Now, they work together to show their fellow survivors how life begins again in recovery. They have made it their mission to share their story so that other burn survivors can see that they can find unity and healing in one another, and we are honored to be able help them and other survivors on their recovery journeys.