Give burn survivors access to rehabilitation

This past month (September 2025), our team had the privilege of traveling to the Philippines to strengthen connections with our burn rehabilitation colleagues. During our visit, we met with the burn unit and rehabilitation team of the Philippines General Hospital, and we were also honored to participate as invited speakers at the burn care and rehabilitation conference organized by Physicians for Peace Philippines.

This trip was especially meaningful because many of the professionals we met in person were already familiar faces through our online training programs. Meeting them face-to-face reinforced the value of building a global community of burn rehabilitation specialists who can learn from one another and share practical solutions.

At the conference, our team presented on the importance of managing post-burn edema, a condition that can greatly affect recovery if not addressed early. We also led a hands-on workshop where we demonstrated simple but effective techniques to control edema and scarring, using Coban and gauze bandaging. These methods are safe, affordable, and easy to apply—making them accessible even in resource-limited settings.

This experience reminded us that while burn survivors everywhere face similar challenges, the solutions are often best developed and shared through collaboration across borders. Because of your generosity, we were able to not only travel and share this knowledge, but also provide practical skills that therapists in the Philippines can immediately use with their patients. Every therapist trained means dozens of burn survivors will benefit, creating a ripple effect that extends far beyond our visit.