Perry

 

Parents really care about their children’s safety, even after they grow older. This is a key resource to tap into.

     Perry is Dr. Jiao’s husband, and he works for a company that sells phonebooks. He explained that his daughter, who works for Gap’s accounting team in San Francisco, had not been burned before due to his vigilance during her childhood. As his daughter grew older, Perry expressed his continued concern for her safety. He continues to feel worried when she cooks for herself, and he “nags her constantly to be careful of sharp knives. Maybe that’s why she doesn’t come back too often”. 

 

Ms. Shen

 

We should target strong communities of supportive people (dance groups, running groups, etc.) to generate revenue via fundraising.

     Ms. Shen is a financial advisor and a marathon runner in her 40’s. When asked about suggestions for generating revenue for a nonprofit, she strongly suggested partnering with certain marathons, saying “every year, the Boston marathon, and many other marathons, list nonprofits on their registration pages. Runners have the option of donating after purchasing their bibs, and since the running community is generally very supportive, that might be a good revenue source”. When I mentioned that we might expand to selling merchandise, she was enthusiastic about the idea of selling t-shirts and hats. She was a little more confused at the idea of selling branded socket plugs, oven mitts, fire safety fences, etc., but that may have been due to my weak explanation of why those types of merchandise were necessary. 

 

Amanda

 

     Amanda, a high school student in Sacramento, often volunteers at “My Sister’s House” ( a organization for those impacted by domestic violence and sexual assault) and coaches youth basketball for children. As a child, Amanda was burned by a waffle iron. Ever since the age of six or seven, she has been fearful of waffle makers due to her traumatic experience. After she was burned badly by a waffle maker, she felt insecure for a while. Scared mentally and physically, she says she would have benefited by having a forum to talk to others about their burn experience, yet questions whether she would have been able to navigate the web at such a young age. While her parents taught her basic “common sense” and took precautions to prevent her from being burned while they cooked in the kitchen, she still feels she would have been able to benefit from more prevention education as a child.

 

Jeremy

 

Now aware of the dangers of being burned, he says he has “learned only through experience and it is hard to teach that.”

     Jeremy is a high school student in sacramento and was burned as a child. Having been burned twice, once by the oven and another time by the exhaust pipe of a car, he says he has “learned his lesson.” Burned twice and having to visit the doctor both times, he admits that his medical visits posed a financial burden on his family. He states, “if I was able to just find information online about how to treat my burns, it could have saved my family a lot of money.” While not totally sold on the idea of having a forum to communicate with other burn victims, he admittingly would had appreciate the reassurance of a medical professional.

 

Kyle

 

When asked about supporting Burned Angels through merch, his response was “those hoodies are clean. You should make long sleeves with that logo too.”

     Kyle is a college freshman at Cosumnes River College. At age 12, Kyle was burned by a lantern while he was camping. After his traumatising experience, he was much more cautious near fires and hot objects. While mentally scared by the experience, he would have appreciated medical attention for his wound. As someone who as been burned, he would have wanted to receive mental support over financial aid for treatment. Aside from his burn experience, he now participates in community service by cleaning local parks on the weekends with his grandfather. He enjoys making an impact on his community. 

 

Kaitlyn

 

She went on to state “I feel like a camp for severely burned children can be a good idea. It could really boost their confidence.”

     Kaitlyn is a senior in high school in Sacramento. While she has never been severely burned before, she has been burn by a curling iron when she was younger. As a child, both her parents worked full time. She says “No one was around to prevent fires. I once left the gas from the stove on all day.” For children of working parents, accidental fires are much more prevalent.

Although never having to experience a traumatic burn, she says she understands the importance of giving mental support to young burn victims. 

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*signifies people wishing to remain anonymous