Rehabilitation for burn survivors in Taiwan

Hsuan-Hsuan is only four years old but she is stronger than most adults…

Hsuan-Hsuan sustained burns when she was very small. To prevent scar contracture from causing irreparable damage to her physical functions and jeopardize her development, therapists and social workers of Sunshine’s Eastern Service Center recommended that Hsuan-Hsuan received regular physical rehabilitation. But because she lives in a remote area of Eastern Taiwan, and because her mother needs to care for her other siblings, keeping up with the daily rehabilitation appointments would have been extremely difficult. Therefore, Sunshine Foundation arranged for Hsuan-Hsuan and her grandmother to come stay at Sunshine Half-Way House and undergo daily rehabilitation at Sunshine’s Taipei Rehabilitation Center.

Far away from home, Hsuan-Hsuan had to adjust to this new life. Therapists and social workers at the Taipei Rehabilitation Center incorporated rehabilitation goals into games and play. But unlike other children her age who can play carefree, these simple games like crawling, jumping, or playing with woodblocks only brought difficulties and pain to Hsuan-Hsuan, as she fought a constant battle against the burn scars.

Over many months, she struggled and cried but with the support of the staff and her grandmother, she bravely faced these many challenges and her progress was such that she is now back with her family in Eastern Taiwan.

See Hsuan-Hsuan’s progress!

The team at Sunshine’s Eastern Service Center continues to follow her progress through home visits, and services will adapt as Hsuan-Hsuan grows up and enters the different development stages of childhood.

The childhood of little Sunshines like Hsuan-Hsuan will be more difficult than most other children. They must endure a kind of pain that even adults will find difficult to bear. Because of their different appearance, they'll also have to face the stares of others while growing up. With your support, Sunshine can give little Sunshines the strength to grow up happily, and through education, we can foster in society a greater understanding of facial difference so that children with burns are treated fairly and equally.

On 2022 GivingTuesday, donate to help burn survivors like Hsuan-Hsuan regain the ability to live active and independent lives!

GlobalGiving’s 2022 GivingTuesday campaign will last 24 hours, from 00:00:00 EST to 23:59:59 EST on November 29, 2022, and will have an Incentive Fund of $1,200,000 USD which will be distributed to participants proportionally based on final fundraising totals. Your donation will help us unlock a greater share of those bonus funds!

Links:

• Hsiao-Hsuan's story