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Last week, AARBF collaborated with AARP to present

Last week, AARBF collaborated with AARP to present our SPARC speaker’s program with AARP’s “HomeFit” program. SPARC is a burn prevention program focusing on burn safety for the aging population. The audience of 19 were all AARP volunteers who are committed to outreach programs throughout the state of California.

Presenting on the SPARC speaker’s program was AARBF Board Member, Andrew Mersmann. He really enjoyed the enthusiasm of the participants who were very engaged with many questions and chatter in the chat box!

To their pre-existing learning objectives, we added one new one for this presentation: Look through a fire safety lens to affirm great choices and add new practices and awareness to keep burn-safe at home.

We appreciated working with Grace-Sonia and Sophie of AARP California. Both of our organizations share a passion for the people we serve. We will continue to look for more ways to support each other's work and opportunities to cross-present important safety messages in the future!

Use the Linktree link in our bio to learn more about SPARC.

#aarbf #burnprevention #aarbfsparc #aarbfresources #aarp #burnsafety @aarpca

Did you know AARBF has now joined Tik Tok? Follow

Did you know AARBF has now joined Tik Tok? Follow us for more content and join the #sdrchallenge!

#aarbftiktok #aarbf #aarbf50 #burnprevention #burnsurvivor

It’s Thankful Thursday and we are thankful for e

It’s Thankful Thursday and we are thankful for everyone who made the first Virtual Young Adult Summit (YAS) a huge success!

We had 28 Survivors participate over the YAS weekend, February 19-21. Of those, five were new to AARBF trips, ten were first time attendees of YAS, and we had three attending from Canada! We also had 19 volunteers (four from Canada!), and two AARBF staff members. We were so excited to see how, even in a virtual environment, our YAS veterans welcomed our new and Canadian attendees making them instantly feel a part of our community.

For this event, we had a dedicated section on the AARBF website where participants had access to over 20 different videos made by Advisors and Staff! Thank you to AARBF’s Assistant Director, Daniel Chacon, for all of your hard work on this project!

Use the Linktree link in our bio to view this webpage: https://www.aarbf.org/category/young-adult-summit/

In addition to the pre-recorded videos, we hosted live sessions beginning on Friday with Friday Opening, YAC Presentation, Games and Hangout time. On Saturday, we had Group Talks and CIT Conversation, Finance Talk with Russ, and Cooking with Buggy. Sunday’s activities included Banners with Buc, Research with Dr. Ruth and our Closing Ceremonies. All together this was over 16 hours of interactive sessions!

A special thank you to AARBF Board President, Russ Charvonia, for his live session on finance. The young adults had many financial questions answered (and maybe even some of the advisors!).

Please help us give a huge shoutout to our volunteers: Chief, Blondie, Brittany, Brooklyn, Buc, Buggy, Carebear, Dash, Dr. Ruth, Kamikaze, Kristy, Lil Bear, Monkey, Murray, Pat, Patch, Pookie, Rocks, and Knuckles. We could not have done this without you!

Although we could not be together at Camp Ocean Pines, we still enjoyed experiencing it together thanks to the incredible on-site videos from our amazing advisors!

#thankfulthursday #aarbf #aarbfyas #yas #burnsurvivor #virtualyas

On the Wellness Wednesday we want to talk about a

On the Wellness Wednesday we want to talk about a subject that is often difficult for burn and trauma survivors to discuss – addiction. James Bosch, a psychotherapist and burn survivor, talks about the cycle of addiction and the steps you can take to recover. Please remember, there is hope, you are not alone.
Use the Linktree link in our bio to view the video!

https://youtu.be/ZJj5E8KK3us

This video, as well as other “Get Support” videos, is available within the Multimedia Resource Library on our website at www.aarbf.org/resources.

#wellnesswednesday #aarbf #aarbfresources #addiction #recovery #hope

On Sunday, May 2, 2021, there will be three teams

On Sunday, May 2, 2021, there will be three teams participating in the Fresno Urban Run raising funds for Champ Camp. The teams are Hanford Fire Department Firefighters (Scott Mellon), Fresno City College (FCC) Fire Academy students, and College of the Sequoias (COS) Fire Academy students.

What is the Fresno Urban Run?
Starting inside of Chukchansi Park, they will be put to the challenge of climbing every step from the bottom to the top of the stadium, followed by a run up a 6-story circular garage and then down an adjacent 6-story circular garage, proceeded by a 1 mile run down Fulton Street to the Tuolumne Overpass (Urban Hill), before the final challenge, climbing 220 stairs to the top of a 10-story building, The Grand Tower, where the timing sensor will stop the clock! Overall length of the Urban Run is approximately 3 Miles. Participants are released to begin one at a time with 3 to 5 seconds between each runner. First runner will be released at 8:00am.

You can help support these teams and Champ Camp by donating to one (or all) of the teams! It’s easy, simply visit https://p2p.onecause.com/aarbffresnourbanrun, using the Linktree link in our bio, scroll down to the leaderboard, and click on the donate tab for the team of your choice. Or you can create your own team! Contact us for more information. Thank you!

#aarbf #fundraiser #aarbffresnourbanrun #fresnourbanrun

Have you registered for our state-wide Virtual Ski

Have you registered for our state-wide Virtual Ski Trip? Watch our video, using the Linktree link in our bio, as AARBF Volunteer Calvin gets ready for the fun by showing you how to make your own skis at home!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rnxiGlMxaiA

The Virtual Ski Trip is packed with fun activities, such as a FREEZE Dance, Snowball fights, & yummy hot cocoa. This is the perfect time to spend time with your fellow burn survivors, and see your favorite Champ Camp counselors - all virtually!

This event is open to all burn survivors, ages 7-17. We hope you will join us on Friday, March 5, 2021 at 6:00 PM via Zoom. Registration is required and must be completed by tomorrow, Wednesday, February 24, 2021. Apply online at https://forms.gle/kA7bf9TCMDx92AjL6 (use the Linktree link in our bio to access the registration page.)

Those registered will receive a camp in a box with all the items you need for this fun event. So, reserve your spot now!

#aarbf #aarbfsurvivor #aarbfskitrip #burnsurvivor #virtualfun

Kim Aguirre was a single 23-year-old mother who wa

Kim Aguirre was a single 23-year-old mother who was excited to have her son’s photo taken with Santa. Kim remembers that the impact of the plane crashing into the mall and how it sent her three-year old son Mario (Molina) flying more than ten feet away from her. She ran to him, swooped him up into her arms and made her way to the nearest exit. Kim and Mario were met with panicked looks as they ran out of the mall. Her jacket was still on fire and her hands were injured from patting out the flames on Mario’s arms and face. There were nearly 100 injured people exiting the mall, all needing medical attention. With critical injuries, Kim and Mario were placed in a police car and because the local hospitals were already at capacity, Kim was separate from her son and taken to a hospital more than 20 miles away, where she was treated for two months. Three-year old Mario was taken to Children’s Hospital Oakland where he remained for six weeks. Christmas was now a fight for survival.

Once Kim and Mario were released from the hospital, they remained mostly indoors during the day and went out only at night. They were in constant pain and they both wore tight pressure garments to reduce scarring from their burns. They could not stand the heat outside, so they would wait until Kim’s sister would return from work, and all go to the park in the evening. Mario even learned how to ride his bike in the dark!

Kim wisely taught young Mario, “A lot of people have scars, some are just on the outside.” She put Mario into as many camps and activities that she could, including baseball, football and the Alisa Ann Ruch Burn Foundation’s Champ Camp, a summer camp for burn injured children.

This was only the beginning of Kim and Mario’s burn survivor story and their journey to recovery with the help of the Alisa Ann Ruch Burn Foundation. We will be releasing a commemorative 50th Anniversary coffee table book later this year highlighting 50 stories, similar to this, from our burn community. Please follow us each Monday as we share excerpts of the stories that have inspired and motivated us for the past 50 years!

#aarbf50stories #aarbf50 #aarbf #burnsurvivor #motivationalmonday

MedWatch Today features AARBF’s McKenzie Dern as

MedWatch Today features AARBF’s McKenzie Dern as she shares important microwave and oven safety tips! Click on the Linktree link in our bio to view the video!

https://www.yourcentralvalley.com/med-watch-today/medwatch-today-stay-safe-being-cautious-around-microwaves-and-ovens/

@cbs47fresno
#aarbf #burnprevention #kitchensafety #medwatchtoday

It’s #FeelGoodFriday and we want to share the st

It’s #FeelGoodFriday and we want to share the story of Taka!

In October 2018, Taka, a Shiba Inu, belonging to a family living in Georgia - was badly burned in a house fire, after the porch upon which he stood collapsed.

He was left in agony, screaming in pain, forcing vets at the Care More Animal Hospital to sedate him in a bid to treat the severe burns. Unfortunately, this didn't help, and vet Crystal Lesley was forced to bring Taka to the South Carolina Veterinary Specialists and Emergency Care in Columbia, South Carolina.

“When I saw the picture I immediately called [the family's neighbor] and told her she needed to bring him to me!” Lesley says.

“She was able to get some help and they brought him in. He was still smoking when they found him. We had never encountered a burn victim as severe as Taka before and we were terrified that he wouldn’t make it.”

After finding out about Taka's story, a nurse at a specialist burns center, the Joseph M. Still Burn Center, got in contact with the offer of a skin graft to allow the dog to blink, free of charge.

Due to the level of care Taka required, it was at this point that his previous family made the difficult decision to give him up, and to allow Lesley to become his owner.

“I had been taking him home with me every day, so eventually I realized I couldn’t part with him,” Lesley says. "After months of recovery and the impact he had on the community. I was approached by a nurse at the burn center about Taka coming in to visit burned children, in hopes of giving them something to relate to.”

One thing stood in the way, however, Taka needed to get his therapy dog certificate, which he achieved last summer.

“I am so incredibly proud of him,” said Lesley. “Just thinking back to how far he has come and where he is now, is just so emotional. The amount of love and respect I have for him is profound.”

Original story: https://bit.ly/3aSXaYg
#feelgoodfriday #aarbf #burnsurvivor

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