Beyond The Scars
Local Camp Hosts Burn Survivors
by Jim Evans

Ricardo Torres, BJ Klotz, Andrew Rosales and Keisha Deems.

They came from all over San Diego, San Bernardino, Riverside and Imperial counties — approximately 40 children and 22 adults who have survived the devastating physical and psychological effects of burn injuries.

They came to share in their commonality and join in camaraderie at Camp Beyond the Scars for burn-injured children ages 5 to 17 and the Retreat for Adult Burn Survivors.

The programs were held Jan. 16-19 at Young Life’s Camp Oakbridge in Ramona, to promote a weekend of healing.

The camp program was established in 1987 by the Burn Institute, and the local Camp Beyond the Scars evolved in 1994 to become one of the institute’s most successful programs. Two camps are held each year — a summer camp and a winter camp — and the youth and adult programs were successfully combined last year to create an intergenerational experience for children and adults. The camps are offered at no cost to burn survivors who live within the Burn Institute’s service area.

Nicole Gleason walking the rope.

The camps provide a unique opportunity for burn survivors to begin healing the emotional and physical scars from their burn injuries by spending time with other burn survivors in a positive environment where they can participate together in activities such as swimming, horseback riding, archery, hiking, arts and crafts, and more.

Many burn-injured children are at first hesitant to show their scars but begin to feel less self-conscious as they meet other young people with similar physical scars. They also participate in group therapy sessions with specialists who help them develop the skills to cope with their emotional scars.

The rope course offers one of the most popular and challenging events at camp. Youngsters are secured with harnesses by skilled firefighters and trained counselors to walk an elevated beam followed by a rope "bridge" hundreds of feet off the ground.

Nicole Gleason, 8, of Anaheim Hills, has been crossing the bridge since she was 5.

Intergenerational games.

"It was a little spooky the first time," she said, "but I’ve been on it more than 50 times now in the last three years."

Ricardo Torres, 10, was about to try the rope course for the first time during the recent camp. Afraid?

"Nah," he said. "Nothing to it." Minutes later, he was traversing the course like an old hand.

Most of the camp counselors are off-duty firefighters — many of whom are also burn survivors — who volunteer their time. Camp director Arnie Garcia of Lakeside, a San Diego firefighter and a burn survivor, has volunteered his time to the Burn Institute for the past decade and was recently honored by KGTV Channel 10 with the 10 Leadership Award. This was the first time a volunteer from the Institute was honored in such a way.

Rope course offers challenges and victories.

"We consistently have between 12 and 20 firefighters from our department helping with the program, and we would like to see more burn survivors participating in the camps," Garcia said.

Ramona resident and assistant camp director Tom Ferguson, a captain with the Rancho Santa Fe Fire Department, has volunteered his time at every camp since 1995.

"I have been to every camp since 1995 — 16 in a row — and it has been one of the most rewarding experiences of my life," Ferguson said.

Cindy Rutter, another Ramona resident, is in charge of the Retreat for Adult Burn Survivors. The retreat teaches adult burn survivors how to "talk openly and honestly about the many issues surrounding their lives after a burn injury...and network about coping skills and self-esteem and establish self-acceptance," according to Burn Survivor Support Services from the Burn Institute.

Cindy Rutter and Ken Mickelsen.

Rutter survived serious burn injuries more than 40 years ago.

"Things were different then," she said. "We didn’t have the network of resources and support that we have now."

Joining her on the adult staff this year was Ken Mickelson of Ramona, who was burned in February 2000 and has recovered sufficiently to begin helping others like himself.

"Ken is part of my extended family," Rutter said. "We’re all in this together."

More than 1 million people are treated for severe burn injuries every year in the U.S. — more than 250,000 of them children — with almost 5,000 fatalities. Sadly, burns are the second-leading cause of death among young children, and 80 percent of these deaths are preventable, the Burn Institute says.

Founded in 1972, the Burn Institute is a local nonprofit health agency dedicated to reducing the number of burn injuries and deaths through fire and burn prevention education, burn care research and treatment, and burn survivor support services.

Important information about "fireproofing" your home against domestic fires and wildfires is also included in the Institute’s extensive Web site at www.burninstitute.org.

Readers can call (858) 541-2277 for further information on Burn Institute Support Services.