By Marie-Claude Pelchat | Project Leader
A victim’s father: With burns over 90% of the body, how will my child live?
Social worker: I know many who have survived and are now doing very well.
A victim’s father: My child’s life is over…
Social worker: Your child’s life is not over, a lot of burn survivors go back to school, find work and live a full life. Some even live fuller lives than ordinary people!
On the evening of June 27, a major explosion occurred at the Formosa Fun Coast Water Park during a party attended by hundreds of youths. Inspired by the Indian traditional festival of Holi during which people celebrate by throwing colored powder, the rave-like party featured music and colored powder sprayed at high velocity from the stage. At around 8:30pm, for reasons still to be determined, the powder ignited, creating a ball of flames that engulfed partygoers. As a result, 497 people sustained inhalation injuries and burns of various levels of severity (one victim passed away on June 29). As of June 29, 267 people were still in ICU, fighting for their lives.
At this critical stage, victims are receiving specialized care in more than 40 hospitals across Taiwan but in the coming months, as they progressively recover and are discharged from hospital, they will require physical rehabilitation to manage their scars and prevent loss of function. Victims and family members will also require psychological support to cope with the trauma of the accident, as well as address issues arising from a changed appearance.
Sunshine Foundation is ready to help burn victims by offering its rehabilitation services. Already, Sunshine has responded to this crisis by mobilizing its social workers and counseling psychologists across Taiwan to provide appropriate psychological support to family members at this stage of the crisis through a special Help Hotline. Victims of the June 27 Water Park Explosion and their family members can call the Help Hotline from 8:30am to 21:30pm, social workers are on hand to listen and answer their questions.
Sunshine’s social workers have also been carrying out hospital visits to meet with family members, explain the future process of rehabilitation to them so that they know what to expect, and also assess needs to plan services for the coming months.
Sunshine Foundation has been helping burn survivors in Taiwan rebuild their lives since 1981 and we will use this expertise accumulated over the years to help the young victims of the June 27 Water Park Explosion, as well as their family. We hope that you will continue to support our efforts through GlobalGiving, and we will continue to update you about our work. Together, we can give burn survivors and their families the strength to overcome this ordeal and find new hope in the future.
By Marie-Claude Pelchat | Project Leader
By Marie-Claude Pelchat | Project Leader
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