Annual World Burn Congress Provides Haven for Survivors

Tommy Curry of the Rockingham (N.C.) County Fire Marshal's Office and N.C. Fire and Life Safety Educators Association assists an attendee at the 2008 World Burn Congress. (Photo Courtesy Amy Acton)

August 21, 2009 – Surviving the trauma of a severe burn is a painful process, but the Phoenix Society’s World Burn Congress (WBC) taking place in New York City August 26 -29 helps give burn survivors the support and resources to once again lead fulfilling lives.

An annual gathering of more than 700 burn survivors and their families, as well as with fire fighters and other first responders who help give survivors another chance at life, the WBC provides rescue workers a rare opportunity to connect with burn survivors.

Phoenix Society Executive Director Amy Acton says, “When someone with burns over 80 percent of their body have a job, get married and start a family, we know we’re doing good work.” Acton, a speaker at the WBC, is herself a former burn survivor and a 13-year burn nurse and manager.

For the survivors attending the WBC, the experience is equally as meaningful. A sense of belonging and connecting with others are not often experienced in the lives of burn survivors. This event offers the opportunity to share their stories and interact with others who have lived through similar adversity.

When he was just two years old, Phil Tammaro, a fire fighter in Billerica, Massachusetts, sustained burns over 35 percent of his body in a house fire. He says attending the WBC “puts a whole other perspective on what we do. It is amazing to see such positive people.”

In addition to the inspiring sessions and speakers at the World Burn Congress, the event features exhibits that provide information about advancements in burn care and new prevention and outreach solutions. It also is a forum for health care professionals to meet and discuss innovations in medical treatment for burn survivors.

Bill Leahy, president of the New York Fire Fighters Burn Center Foundation and a FDNY fire fighter, says, “There has always been a lot of interest in the acute care of burns, and now there is more awareness of what happens down the road.”

Since 1977, the Phoenix Society for Burn Survivors has been instrumental in providing education and support for burn survivors and first responders. In its 21st year, the World Burn Congress is just one of the many programs offered by the Phoenix Society as a resource for those affected by burns.