Burn Community Pioneer Remembered

October 5, 2010 – The IAFF and the IAFF Burn Foundation regrets to report the death of Dr. Gary Purdue, a professor at UT Southwestern Medical Center and longtime co-director of Parkland's Burn Unit. Purdue died in a motorcycle accident October 3. As a world-renowned burn specialist, he pioneered new techniques in burn care and treatment and touched and forever changed thousands of lives.

Among his notable achievements was the delivery of skin grafts for 9/11 burn victims following the terrorist attacks at the Pentagon. Purdue is also recognized for his passion to support burn survivors after discharge from the hospital and his participation at the annual Camp-I-Thonka-Chi Burn Camp for children, which encourages self-esteem building and self-growth.