burns

20 year old Dambar came to our hospital with his twin brother and shared his story with us.  He was born second, and during his delivery there was some trouble with getting him out. Most likely as a result of this he lives with cerebral palsy.  His speech is quite minimal and difficult to understand.  Dambar is able to walk, although due to his cerebral palsy, his gait is quite halting and jerky.  They live with their mother and three other brothers and their families.  They are a low caste family, and are quite poor.  Despite owning a small plot [...]

I saw her lying on a gurney, and I was stopped in my tracks.  Eight years old.  Pleading eyes.  Her distraught mother at her bedside.  Second and third degree burns covering most of the front of her body.  Knowing the suffering and sadness that lay ahead, it was hard to hold it together as I spoke with her mother.  Earlier that day she had fallen into a cooking fire.  Her clothes ignited, and she was severely burned.  They got to us as quickly as they could. We admitted this little girl almost a week ago now.  With burns this severe, [...]