Dear Mr. Michael & Ms. Carolyn,
I would like to thank you for the opportunities that you gave to my two sons, and my daughter for the time you have both spent counseling with them, and the great time that they had at Camp Phoenix . They have been through a very hard time when our house burned down. We lost one daughter in the fire. I know that it bothers all of them, as well as it does me. The boy’s have gone backwards in their social skills and have a very hard time at school. I know that you all worked through some of their problems at camp this past summer. It was hard for me to tell you all what all I had been going through with them. You all have no idea how helpful it was for you to just tell the boys how bad it was for them to not go into the bathrooms to go to use the bathroom. It was hard for me to constantly tell them, and we all know that they are old enough to know better. Their sister was always embarrassed by the boys. Anthony always got away with more than Derik did, mostly because he was younger. It amazed me at some of the good habits that they came back from camp with. Derik has gone back to school now, and says that he wants to try to be good, and graduate. He said that Mr. Michael told him he could graduate if he really tried hard, and did his work. It was good for the boy’s especially to have a good man to be around for a week. My daughter Sarita just keeps talking about how you all made her sing, and how everyone kept on talking about how good her voice was. I know that she has a great voice, and I know that I don’t always tell her that or give her the encouragement that I should. It is just so hard since their Dad left to do everything for all of them, and work, and I guess that as Sarita tells me I am still grieving for Cecilia (their sister) that didn’t make it out of the fire. I have been reading the books that you all sent to me. Sarita has been reading them also. She is such a good girl, and I know that I should give her more of my time, but the boy’s keep me busy. I do thank you for letting the boy’s call you to talk to you anytime. I know that Anthony called you the other night when he was real angry at one of the boy’s at school for calling him a crispy Critter Monster. I am not sure what all you said to him, but he was able to go to school, and to not get in trouble all week long. I think that Anthony looks up to his brother Derik more now that he has gone back to school with him and Sarita. I can only hope that they stay out of trouble and stop fighting. They do remind each other what you said Mr. Michael about the fight or flight, take the high road and walk away from them when others start to get to you. My words can never tell you how much it means to all of us that you all are there for them when they need you. They look forward to coming to Camp Phoenix again to see you all and meet new friends. It helped them so much to know that there really are other kids that are burned, it is not just them. I want to thank you so very much for the clothing vouchers, and the fuel vouchers that you sent to me last month. I don’t know how I would have made it without your help. God Bless you all!
In Gods Blessings to you,
Mrs. Catherine Hill
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To Whom It May concern;
I would like to thank you for all that you did for my grandson David. David was burned while playing with a friend. They were playing with a gas can that we used to fill our lawnmower with. They were playing with the gas can and matches, when the fumes caught, and the gas can exploded, David was on fire, and in the moment of panic he ran one of the other boys he was playing with knocked him down, and made him roll over until the flames were extinguished. By running he actually fueled the flames, which caused him to be burned more. He was very lucky that the other children reacted so quickly. They were all great, about helping to get him to stay down, and to get the ambulance for him. David spent a lot of time in the hospital going through several nights of pain, and during the days they would have to scrape his wounds, which made him cry from the pain. I felt so helpless, and at first most of his friends came to visit him, then as time went on they had to get back to their own lives and David was left to recover mostly by himself. I know that I could not give David all the help that he really needed. I am so thankful that one of his nurses gave me your number. You were able to tell me what to expect, and how to help David through this far. He really looks forward to the time when he gets to come to Camp Phoenix. I remember how he was when he came home after his first year at camp. He was so excited, and was telling his Grandpa and I how good it was to be at camp where there were other kids that had been burned, and that some of them were even worse burned than he was. He told us about another boy that had burns like his, but he was not burned by gasoline, he was in a car fire. He told us about how his new friend had told him that they were burned for a reason, and that they needed to share their stories with other burn survivors and other people. He told us about how at the camp fire everyone shares their stories about how they were burned, and they talk about how it makes them feel, and how to react when others stare at you or call you names. He told us about how he learned that it is not what is on the outside that really counts what who I am on the inside is what is really important. It has helped his grandpa and I to use those statements during the year when he gets down, and starts letting his friends get to him by calling him names. David also appreciates the fact that he can call the 1-800 number anytime he needs to talk to someone, which is very helpful after a difficult day in school, or after one of his sports events. It was very helpful to know that he should continue to be involved in his after school activities. David loved to play basketball before he got burned, and it is good to know that we as his guardians (Grandparents) should not keep him out of that because of his burns. We have no way of ever repaying you all for all the wonderful things that you have provided for David, from the Camp experience, to the many hours of counseling, and all the encouragement you have given David, to the clothing, and gasoline vouchers you have provided for him. He enjoys most the sponsorship for him to ride his motorbike in competition for two years in a row. It both kept him busy, and it kept him active in something he really liked to do, and we would not have been able to provide that for him without your help. It also was a way to have him use his hands more, both riding the bike, and repairing it. He was responsible for taking care of the bike. As Mr. Mathis pointed out it is very important that he use his fingers and hands to help them to remain mobile, and able to function. Again we can’t thank you and your staff enough for all you have done to help our Grandson David.
Graciously,
Bill & Arlene McDonald
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Dear Michael T. Mathis,
I just wanted to send you a quick letter to let you know that the important work that you are doing with the children that have experienced the trauma of being burned really is very helpful. Our daughter Karla has attended your summer camp for the past four years now, and we can see a big difference in her attitude now. She used to be very quiet and didn’t want to go anywhere, or even to be seen out with her friends, in which she has very few. She used to just want to sit in her room and listen to music. Since she started going to camp and walking with you and some of the other counselors and friends that she made at camp it is like she is starting to bloom as our precious little girl again. We all know that if we could do things different we would so that this would never happen, yet you and your staff and her other friends she has made have helped her to believe that there was a reason that she was burned and that she is now left with the opportunity as she now puts it to pay it forward, and help other children to accept what has happened to them and move forward to live a full life. That she is just as special now as she ever was.
She has also become a lot more comfortable talking to others about what happened to her, and that it really was not her fault that she got burned, but now it is her opportunity to help others to understand that it is not what is on the outside that counts, but what is on the inside that really matters. We feel very blessed to have found such a caring group of people to help our daughter come back to us, as a happy young lady now. She talks about wanting to someday help other children who have been burned like her. Who knows maybe she will become a doctor or a nurse.
Sincerely,
Kate & Tom Adams (Karla’s Parents)
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Dear Michael Mathis,
Thank you for all the years of dedication to our daughter Catilina. When we found out about the Burned Children Recovery Foundation it was a life saver for Catilina. She had been burned by her father, who poured lighter fluid on her when she was just a toddler. Then both parents left her at the hospital. She came to live in our home, and we have tried many times to help her to rehabilitate. She had as many surgeries as she could endure. It was only through your help that she was able to do the last three surgeries. She was so badly disfigured, and it made her so anxious that it was extremely difficult for her to go to the doctors and then to the hospitals for other surgeries, and procedures. She has so many different areas in which she was and is traumatized. First there is the severe disfigurement of her face, and she only has the one eye to see out of. She has been through sixteen surgeries, and could have used dozens more, however she was too traumatized, and could not go through with the other procedures. It became to difficult for us as her foster family to put her through any more and she was having to be sedated before she was taken to the hospitals. It means so much to her that you and your staff care about her, and continue to help her in the huge amounts of counseling, and just talking to her, and being her friend. She only has her other foster brothers and sisters that live here in our home of fourteen disabled children and young adults. Each has their own disability, and with Catilina, she has a very creative mind, and she can draw very well, and we encourage her to draw, and with your help and support she is able to draw more often. We appreciate that she has your support with not only counseling, but also with a few art supplies, that you and your staff, and rotary friends have provided for her throughout the year. She looks forward to Camp Phoenix each year. It is such a blessing to us for her to have a place that she can go once a year for a week, not only does it give us a break, it also gives her a pleasant break of pace. She gets to tell other children how it feels for her, and we have heard from some of the other parents what an inspiration she has been for their child to be able to see and talk to someone who has been burned worse than they have and to see how well Catilina functions. Although she will never be the same person she once was she believes that there was a reason that she was burned, and she has forgiven her father, although she has never seen her parents again. She has accepted who she is and does the best she can. We all appreciate all that you do for her, and all the other children who have had to endure the trauma of burns. You are truly a blessing to many, and we just want to let you know that you are very appreciated by our family.
May God Bless You,
Larry & Francis Wiggins
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Dear Mr. Mathis,
I just wanted to tell you how special you have made my son James feel. Words can not express the way it has made him feel just to know that someone out there cares about him, and knows what he has been through in his recovery. We really appreciate all the great tools you have given to him throughout the years.
When James first started communicating with you and your organization he was having major problems with other children in our community, and in the school that he used to attend. It was with your help and encouragement along with the work that you did with his school that helped him to be able to return to school. At first he was very hesitant to try to go again, but with the talk that you had with his principal, and counselors at his school it made a big difference when he returned. He has made many new friends.
Through all his surgeries you were able to encourage him and tell him what to expect, that is something that I was not able to do for my son, because I have not ever been burned, and I don’t really know what to expect. He has been able to talk with you and your other counselors and now he knows what to expect each time that he has to go back for more surgeries, or procedures.
You have also, I don’t know how, but you have been able to talk to him about his anger issues, and now that he is able to process some time in between his reactions he is doing much better with his anger issues at school, and at home.
I just thought it was important to share with you a little about what it has meant to me as a Mom trying to help my son through this process. It breaks my heart to have to watch him have to go through so much. I don’t know how I could ever repay all that you have done for my son. Thank you seems so small, yet it is all I have that I can do is to say Thank you a million times over.
Thank you so very much,
Ramona Rice (James’ Mom)
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To The Burned Children Recovery Foundation,
I really don’t know where to start. We sent you the Newspaper article about how our house caught on fire when our daughters were in their bedroom with candles and how the curtain caught fire, and then it moved to the bed, and how they feared letting us know that their room was on fire, until it was too late to do anything about it. We lost one of our daughters in the fire, and the other one we could only hope that she could make it. She was burned, yet not extremely bad, she is able to cover her burns with long pants, yet she forever carries the guilt of losing her sister in the fire. Her words still haunt her father and I, as the ambulance people were taking her away for care she kept saying daddy please don’t be mad at me, it was the worst accident our family has ever endured. We were lucky enough to have at least one child make it out. We can never replace her sister, nor could we have ever replaced her. Nancy lives with that pain each day, yet with the help of your foundation she has been able to come to terms with that terrible night. She has been able to talk about it with the help of the camp fire and hearing other children’s stories. She is now able to talk about how she feels about how it has affected her, both by being burned, and by surviving the fire. As her parents it was very tough not knowing how to deal not only with our pain of losing a child, and still having another one who did make it, and helping her to get through the grief also was very difficult. The booklets that you provided for us were a great resource for us to start to heal both ourselves, and how to help our remaining precious daughter through both her grief, and her recovery process. Girls can be very vain, and when your child is burned there is no going back, you can’t take that back, so we had to with the help and tools that we were given to us we did begin to heal, and we were able to help our daughter. We can’t thank you enough for all the help you have given to us.
Sincerely,
Nancy & Don Boatman
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