Videoblog from Tanzania

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We are delighted to announce that Care4Burn’s founder, Karianne, will travel to Tanzania with Dr. Einar Eriksen in a couple of weeks. Here, she will hand over surgical equipment, purchased with funds collected and donated in 2018, to the burn wound department at Kilimanjaro Christian Medical Center in Moshi.

As something new, we will create video blogs from the journey so that you can follow from home, see link.

During the stay, Dr. Eriksen will do side-by-side teaching of the local surgeons in burn wound surgery, where the purpose is to raise their level of competence so that more patients can benefit from better treatment.

In addition, on behalf of Care4Burn, Karianne will discuss future and more patient-focused collaboration opportunities with hospital management.

So keep an eye out for ongoing updates.

We are very pleased that the journey is in place and that we can continue our cooperation with KCMC, as we have done since 2011. We can’t wait!

Together we can make a difference!

Check out our new Info-cards

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Burn injuries is a major global health problem that not many people are aware of.

We would like to change this, which is why we have created three postcards that tell patients’ stories. Children bear the greatest burden, but adults are also often injured. We have put their stories on postcards with the aim to raise awareness about this serious health problem.

Burn injured patients deserve our attention and help. We aim to improve the treatment of their burn injuries. We aim to improve their quality of life.

In addition, we hope that our postcards will increase the awareness of Care4Burn, our work and the prevalence of burn injuries.

To learn more about burns, follow this link.

You can help give burn injured patients new memories!

By donating a bit of your time and help us distribute the postcards – in your circle, at your workplace, to your neighbors, etc. – you can help increase the awareness of this major global health problem. Your time means a lot to the patients and we at Care4Burn greatly appreciate your help. You can contact us at info@care4burn.org to receive a stack of postcards for distribution.

Together we can make a difference!

The postcards are designed by Andreea Vlad, visual artist and graphic designer. Andreea has recently founded her own company ‘V Studio’, where she works with visual communication in analog and digital media. Andreea is a volunteer in Care4Burn and donates her art and time to help burn patients. In addition to our postcards, she has among other things designed our logo. Thank you Andreea, for visually strengthening our message!

To read more about Andreea and her work, follow this link.

Welcome Anja Steensig

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On a hot summer day in July, Care4Burn’s founder, Karianne W. Fjære, met with Anja Steensig, author, lecturer and spiritual mentor, in her home in Helsingør. It was a meaningful meeting where they shared their interest in and joy of making a difference for other people, each in their own way.   

Anja Steensig is a versatile person with a compassionate heart. She has previously been engaged as both TV and radio host and is now dedicated to convey the power of love as well as the importance of compassion, both towards others and to ourselves.   

Her warmth, ambition and care for other people are values that we in Care4Burn both identify with and are inspired by and it is with great pleasure that we welcome Anja Steensig as ambassador. 

We are very grateful that Anja wants to support Care4Burn’s work and we look forward to see what the future will bring, as we focus our attention towards compassion and kindness.  

Together we can make a difference!   

You can read more about Anja Steensig, her passion and important work here.

Care4Burn’s first ambassador

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Care4Burn is excited to welcome Lina Lernevall as an ambassador for Care4Burn.

Lina is a nurse and a PhD-student at the Department of Plastic, Hand and Reconstructive Surgery, National Burn Centre, Haukeland University Hospital and the Department of Global Public Health and Primary Care at the University of Bergen, Norway.

The title of the PhD is “Parent experience of burn injury in their child and perceived needs for support during hospitalization at a burn care centre”. Through her work she uncovers the need for parental support and how to improve the support for parents of burn injured hospitalised children.

Last year, at Care4Burn’s Charity event, Lina presented her study and gave a poignant lecture on post-traumatic stress in parents to children with burn injuries.

Thank you for joining our team Lina and for supporting Care4Burn’s work!

We look very much forward to work together to raise awareness of burn injuries in third world countries.

Together we can make a difference!

You can read more about Lina and her research here.

Thank you….

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We want to give a BIG ‘Thank you’ to all that have supported Care4Burn in 2018!

In 2018 we fundraised for just under 40.000 DKK, which is 3 times as much as the year before!

With the funds raised we have bought a new mesh-machine for the Burn Unit at Kilimanjaro Christian Medical Center in Moshi Tanzania.

Our plan is to hand over the equipment later this year.

Together we can give children with burn injuries in Tanzania the help and attention they deserve.

Together we can make a difference!

General Assembly 2019

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Are you interested in development work?

Do you want to make a difference for children with third-degree burn injuries in Tanzania?

Welcome to the General Assembly 2019.

Thursday the 7th of March at 5-6:30 pm, Copenhagen.

If you are interested in our work and would like to participate in the General Assembly please send us a message at info@care4burn.org before February the 17th and we will send you further information about the meeting.

We look forward to hear from you.

Together we can make a difference!

Zaituni

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Zaituni’s story is tough. When she was 4 years old, the house where she lived with her brother and her parents burned down. After saving Zaituni and her brother, her father died in the fire. Not long after, her mother died as well, due to injuries from the fire. Zaituni and her brother were therefore raised by their father’s sister, Haruna.

In 2009, Zaituni and Haruna came to Nkoaranga Hospital, where Zaituni was examined by plastic surgeon Einar Eriksen. At that time, Zaituni was 10 years old and more than 6 years had passed since the family’s tragedy. Zaituni’s injuries and complications from the accident were extensive. Because of her untreated burn injury, she had scar tissue that stretched in a long line from the right side of her lower chest, across her right shoulder, down the entire arm and out to her right hand.

As Zaituni became older and her body grew, the large and long scar tissue prevented her right hand from developing normally, resulting in a severe contraction leaving the right hand unusable. In addition, the contraction caused her great pain in the right hand.

Zaituni’s contraction is an important example of why it is important to get the necessary surgical help as soon as possible after an accident. Had Zaituni immediately received a skin transplantation after the accident, the amount of scar tissue would have been reduced and her contraction would have been smaller.

Unfortunately, Zaituni was not operated in 2009. A reconstruction of this size would need several surgeries. In addition, the operation would require regular post-physiotherapy and follow-up over a long period, which was neither possible at Nkoaranga Hospital or in the village Kikwe, outside Arusha, where Zaituni lived with her brother and aunt.

Thus, Zaituni and Haruna had to return to Kikwe empty handed.

Many years went by before Care4Burn got in touch with Zaituni and her aunt Haruna again. Not until 2014 did Care4Burn succeed in locating Zaituni and inviting her and her aunt to Moshi and to Kilimanjaro Christian Medical Center (KCMC), where Dr. Eriksen would address the first of two surgeries over the next few years. At KCMC, Zaituni was able to get the necessary post-physiotherapy and follow-up after the surgery.

Since 2009 Zaituni’s scar tissue had brought her even greater disabilities and pain. Now she was unable to stretch the right arm 180 degrees and she was not able to lift the right arm more than 25-30 degrees from her body. Furthermore, contracting scar tissue around the armpit and on her chest meant that her breasts were not symmetrical. In addition, because the scar tissue stretched along her entire arm, from shoulder to fist, Zaituni’s arm had been prevented from developing fully. As a result, her right arm was significantly shorter than her left arm.

In March 2014, Dr. Eriksen released the contraction around the right elbow and wrist and in August 2017 he loosened the contraction on the chest and in the right armpit. ‘New’, thick skin, harvested from the thigh and buttocks was subsequently transplanted after both surgeries. After the second surgery in 2017, Zaituni was able to stretch her right arm 180 degrees and lift it over her head. In addition, her second surgery also brought symmetry back to her chest and breast area.

In November 2017, Zaituni completed high school and now she dreams of continuing with her education.

One surgery costs approximately 100 EURO. Zaituni has undergone two surgeries, both performed by plastic surgeon Einar Eriksen and sponsored by Care4Burn. For approximately 200 EURO, Zaituni’s quality of life has been immensely improved. Now she can stretch and lift her right arm over her head and her breasts are symmetrical.

Zaituni still needs reconstruction of her right hand.

Together we can make a difference!

If you have questions or want to hear more about our work and how you can contribute, please feel free to contact us at info@care4burn.org.

Jessica og Gloria

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Jessica and Gloria are two girls who in 2008 lived in Nkoaranga village at the foot of Mt. Meru, north of Tanzania. When they heard rumours in the village that there was a plastic surgeon at Nkoaranga Hospital in November 2008, they both went to the hospital to hear if there was a chance that the surgeon could do something to alleviate their skin contractions.

Due to old burn injuries, Jessica’s left hand and wrist were contracted and Gloria’s right wrist and elbow were contracted.

Like so many others in the village, Jessica and Gloria came from poor families with no extra financial resources that would allow them to get the necessary surgeries that would increase the mobility in their wrists hand and elbow. Care4Burn decided to sponsor their treatment, carried out by plastic surgeon Einar Eriksen.

          

The following year, in 2009, Dr. Eriksen and Karianne W. Fjære travelled back to Nkoaranga Hospital. This time, over 15 patients approached the hospital to speak to Dr. Eriksen and to hear if there was something he could do to alleviate their disabling contractions. While most of the people who came to the hospital came from the area around Arusha and Mt. Meru, one patient had travelled all the way from Dar es Salaam, over 600 km away. During their stay, Dr. Eriksen operated 5 patients. Care4Burn sponsored several of the surgeries.

On the third day, Karianne W. Fjære was called out of the operating room – someone had come to see her.

Outside stood Jessica and Gloria, both smiling. After hearing that Dr. Eriksen and Karianne W. Fjære had returned to the hospital, they wanted to meet again and to show how they both were able to stretch their hands and arms, one year after the surgeries.

What a joyful reunion. It was incredibly nice to meet the two girls again – and it was very meaningful to see how they both had benefited from last year’s surgeries.

One surgery costs approximately 100 EURO. Jessica and Gloria had one surgery each, both performed by plastic surgeon Einar Eriksen. For approximately 200 EURO, the function in Jessica and Gloria’s hand, wrists and elbow were improved.

Together we can make a difference!

If you have questions or want to hear more about our work and how you can contribute, please feel free to contact us at info@care4burn.org.

A meaningful Christmas gift

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We all know how painful it is to be burned!

When buying a Care4Burn Christmas card you engage in improving the quality of life for children with severe burn injuries in Tanzania. Qualified local treatment ensures better opportunities for these injured children to re-join their local communities in the future.

Merry Christmas from Care4Burn

Together we can make a difference!

Want to make a Great Christmas gift?

Support our cause and buy a Care4Burn Christmas card*

Write ‘Christmas card’ in the remarks field when purchasing and we will e-mail your Christmas card to you. If you want a Danish version of the Christmas card, then write ’Julekort’ in the remarks field.

You can also buy a Care4Burn Christmas card with MobilePay: 28466

When buying with MobilePay, write your e-mail address in addition to ‘Christmas card/Julekort’ in the remarks field.

* The Christmas cards can be bought for 50/100/200/500/1000/5000 DKK

Emmanuel

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Care4Burn first met Emmanuel in 2009. Then he was 19 years old and it was obvious how ashamed he was of his appearance. It was difficult for him to keep eye contact and most of the time he looked down and into the ground when he spoke to people.

Emmanuel had contractions on both his cheeks. Due to an old and untreated burn injury, scar tissue had formed between his eyes and mouth on both cheeks, and over time it had contracted. The contraction was greatest on the right cheek. Here, the scar tissue had contracted so much that Emmanuel had difficulty closing his right eye completely.

Emmanuel got burned when he was just 1 year old. He does not remember the accident himself, but he has been told by his family that he fell into the flames face first.

Emmanuel explained how he has a hard time feeling like he is a part of the community. Growing up he was bullied a lot because of his appearance, and at an early age he therefore decided to stop going to school. He spends his days “just hanging out” on the streets, without really having anything to do. Emmanuel wished for a skin transplantation in the hope that it could help him get a job.

Emmanuel’s family could not afford treatment and Care4Burn therefore decided to sponsor his surgery, carried out by plastic surgeon Einar Eriksen. One surgery costs approximately 100 EURO.

Emmanuel’s operation was comprehensive and long-drawn. It is challenging to harmonize skin grafts in the face and the surgery took several hours. Finally, the surgery was completed and Emmanuel’s face was symmetrical for the first time since he was one year old.

Unfortunately, it became apparent after a few days that the transplant did not attach optimally and the skin graft was lost partially at the right eye.

Emmanuel was offered another surgery, with a new skin transplantation at the right eye. However, Emmanuel refused. He did not wish to undergo anaesthesia again. He explained that his experiences when ‘sleeping’ were so unpleasant that he would not repeat this at any price.

Over the next few years, Care4Burn kept in touch with Emmanuel. We were interested to see if there was anything else we could do to help him, that would make him more involved in the local community.

A couple of years later Emmanuel himself came up with a proposal: Could Care4Burn sponsor his driver’s license so that he could start working as a taxi driver?

For the first time in a long time, there was life and light in Emmanuel’s voice – so YES, of course we could.

In 2014, Emmanuel completed his driving lessons and not long after he passed the driving test. Emmanuel’s driver’s license cost approximately 80 EURO.

Today, 4 years later, Emmanuel still works as a taxi driver in Arusha city centre, in northern Tanzania.

Together we can make a difference!

If you have questions or want to hear more about our work and how you can contribute, please feel free to contact us at info@care4burn.org.