Rehabilitation for burn survivors in Taiwan

Six months have passed since the powder explosion at the Formosa Fun Coast Water Park on June 27, 2015. For the burn survivors, the last six months have been the most difficult time in their young lives. They’ve experienced being waken up in the middle of the night by the unbearable pain, yet having to force themselves to go back to sleep in order to build up enough strength to go through their day of rehabilitation. They’ve had to tolerate pain throughout the long process of showering and wound care, which can take between 3 and 6 hours. They’ve had to learn how to accept their changed appearance and cope with the stares of others. They’ve had to dry their tears and learn how to face each new day in a positive, happy way. Six months later, they are getting better and better.

A total of 499 people were injured, and over 60% of the victims sustained burns over 40% of their body. Sunshine has provided services to over 400 of the victims, with 231 young burn survivors who are currently receiving intensive physical rehabilitation services in our expanded rehabilitation network, which now includes six rehabilitation centers and two short-term housing facilities.

One of these young burn survivors is CHEN Chi-Chin.

See Chi-chin's story

What started out as an evening of fun with friends soon became a nightmare, with Chi-Chin sustaining burns over 60% of his body, mostly on his arms and legs. Before his injury, Chi-Chin was the captain of his baseball team and dreamed of playing baseball professionally. Although at first Chi-Chin thought that his injury meant that he would have to give up on his dream, but thanks to the support of his family and the rehabilitation team at Sunshine’s Kaohsiung Rehabilitation Center, he is now using the same determination he put on the baseball field in his daily rehabilitation.

Chi-Chin says: “Pain is a process. It’s the same thing with baseball, hardship is a process. Actually, this applies to anything that you want to do well. The process is very important. For example, after my burn injury, I must do rehabilitation or to play baseball, I must get good grades. In the process, a lot of efforts are necessary. So it’s just a process that I must surmount. My family is very important. They’ve accompanied me and cared for me. I’m really grateful to them and I will use rehabilitation and the effort I put into it to repay them.”

For Chi-Chin and the other young burn survivors, the process of recovery is just starting. Even though there is still a long road ahead of them, with your help, things are getting better and better, because your donations have made it possible for them to have access to timely rehabilitation. On behalf of all the burn survivors, we thank you!

Links:

• See Chi-Chin's story and his progress over the last six months

The June 27th Water Park Explosion in Taiwan injured 499 people, most of them are in their late teens and early twenties. Suddenly, their young lives were disrupted and as they began to be discharged from hospital, they slowly realized that this wasn't the end of their ordeal, and that in fact, the long road towards recovery stretched in front of them. Sometimes, it feels as if all of their dreams for the future are shattered and that it would just be easier to put them aside...

One of these young survivors from the Water Park Explosion is 19-year old Meng-Hsiu. Meng-Hsiu sustained second and third degree burns over 77% of his body, mainly his arms, legs and chest. Meng-Hsiu says: “After being discharged from the hospital, a social worker from Sunshine gave me a lot of encouragement, so I came to the Taoyuan-Hsinchu Service Center where I can do rehabilitation surrounded by other Water Park survivors. We encourage one another, so the days feel less painful.”

Meng-Hsiu has always loved playing baseball and before his injury, he was the pitcher for his university’s baseball team. Due to his burns, he is unable to raise his arms or his head, scars over his chest also restrict his movements and he has lost much of his muscle strength. Although it seems for now that his baseball dreams are far away, Meng-Hsiu hasn't given up. In order to return to the game he loves the most, Meng-Hsiu began physical rehabilitation immediately after hospital discharge in September. Despite the itching and pain caused by scars, he repeatedly stretches the scars on his chest, practices crouching on the ground and raising his arms. Meng-Hsiu says: “I want to return as soon as possible to school and play baseball with my teammates.”

Meng-Hsiu is one of the burn survivors currently undergoing rehabilitation at Sunshine's new Taoyuan-Hsinchu Service Center, which officially opened on October 16, 2015. The Taoyuan-Hsinchu Work Station was originally set up in 2014, but due to the rapid increase in the number of clients, which almost doubled within a year, the Work Station was expanded to become a full-fledged Service Center. This meant hiring physical and occupational therapists, social workers and a counseling psychologist, and moving to bigger facilities where we can provide physical rehabilitation and psychological counseling services. Currently, there are 45 burn survivors from the Water Park Explosion that have started undergoing rehabilitation at the Center.

During the opening ceremony for the new Service Center, Meng-Hsiu wore his team’s practice uniform to give himself courage, and showed everyone the progress he has made by demonstrating the pitching posture and movements. This was a very emotional moment for Meng-Hsiu, because it was the first time since his injury that he was able to do the thing he loves most, and it's a proof that he is getting closer to fulfilling his dream of playing baseball again. Meng-Hsiu strongly encourages all the burn survivors from the Water Park Explosion to begin rehabilitation: “Don’t give up on your dreams! You must courageously keep on moving forward!”

As a donor to our project Rehabilitation for burn survivors in Taiwan, you are helping Meng-Hsiu and countless other burn survivors move one step closer to realizing their dreams. Thank you for your support!