New Advocates, New Partners, New Support
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The Grossman Burn Foundation and Grossman Burn Centers welcome new advocates, new partners, and new support to our ever-growing family. Red Cross, Los Angeles Recovery Regional Manager Alexis Agrinsoni and Farmer’s Insurance Representative Hillery Gladden join in our mission to provide support for disaster relief to citizens throughout the Ventura and Los Angeles Counties.
Singer-Songwriter and Inspirational Speaker Audra Bryant and Former NFL Safety Shane Pahukoa are burn survivors with powerful stories to share. “It's my passion to prevent anyone I can from having to figure it all out on their own,” Bryant shared.
Bryant, Pahukoa, Gladden, and Agrinsoni accepted an invitation to tour the Grossman Burn Center, located at the West Hills Hospital, where they learned more about the comprehensive network of care offered to burn survivors. “I am very much looking forward and committed to helping the Grossman Burn Center(s) and Grossman Burn Foundation in any way I can,” Pahukoa commented.
Our new partners and advocates unite burn survivors in the community through resources offered by the Grossman Burn Foundation and Grossman Burn Centers.
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You can help us achieve our goals in maintaining our programs and expanding wherever possible.
If able, please make a donation.
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At GBF, our goal is to support burn survivors and their families through comprehensive medical care and a circle of support. GBF also serves senior citizens, children and many other high-risk groups by delivering education and burn prevention tools. GBF’s programs, Project Faith Senior Burn Prevention and Education, Family Camp, and many more make a difference in people’s lives. With your help, we can reach so many more by 2020.
Our local and global mission to promote effective, sustainable partnership solutions for the comprehensive treatment, care, and support of burn survivors and their families, which is further helped with
your
support. Read about updates and about our programs.
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2019 Burn Survivor Family Camp
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Burn Survivor Family Camp, in its 15th year, held annually at Lake Hughes, connects burn survivors and their families to the GBF community during four days of healing, sharing, and team building. Dr. Peter Grossman and his family were present at this year’s camp. Dr. Grossman gave a warm speech, offering words of wisdom and encouragement. Burn survivors shared incredible accounts of their journey during “Pass the Mic” sessions. These sessions and other therapeutic activities, such as hiking and arts & crafts, allow attendees to gain confidence and bond with others.
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Hello, my name is Shane Pahukoa and I am a Burn Survivor.
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Shane Pahukoa - Burn Survivor:
"
Supposedly the plan was to have fun.
No supervision. Just a bunch of cousins starting a fire and throwing random objects into the flames to see what colors shot out. What could go wrong? Well, this is where my life changed forever. To this day no one admitted which person did it, but some poured gasoline onto the raging fire opposite where I was sitting. The flames jumped on to me. I ran in circles, rolled on the ground, until my brother pushed me under the outside facet and dowsed me with water.
I suffered third degree burns to most of my face, hand and parts of my leg.
It was the summer of 1978 and I spent the entire summer in a burn unit in Portland Oregon. I was seven years old, just headed into the third grade.
Obviously I was in for a tough transition. How would my friends see me? Would they be scared of me? Did I even have to go to school now? All these question and more raced through my head.
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My parents got my only brother and I involved in different sports very early in life. My older brother Jeff was my mentor and hero. He was two years older than myself and I was his shadow. We played soccer, track, basketball, baseball, and eventually football when we got mature enough.
Athletics allowed me to express myself without words.
I shied away from people and crowds.They upset me, and I always felt like they were staring at me and thinking horrible thoughts.
I excelled quickly at all sports, moving up in age and competing against much older players.
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Football however, was where I shined the most.
I could put on my helmet, cover my face, and create havoc. I received several individual awards over the years and eventually accepted a football scholarship at the University of Washington, in Seattle, just 30 miles south of my hometown.
Again, I quickly climbed the ladder at UW. I was one of three true freshmen who played in the fall of 1989. Over my next three years, I was a three-year starter at free safety, team captain, two time All- Pac-10 Free Safety, All-Pac-10 Academic. Our team won three Pac-10 Championships, two Rose Bowls, and one National Championship in 1991. The New Orleans Saints gave me an opportunity to play football in the NFL and signed me to an undrafted free agent contract. I spent a better part of four years in New Orleans. It was a great time in my life. I married my high school sweetheart and we had the first of three children.
In 2011, I was asked to be the spokesperson for Play To Heal, a campaign to raise money for the children’s play area at UW-Harborview Hospital in Seattle Washington. Over the years, this has morphed into something much bigger, and the University of Washington Medical Center has jumped on board with even loftier goals.
My hope is to help the healing process of burn victims.
I’m still healing to this day and to be able to talk to people and discuss it helps greatly. Also with my success in football, I am hoping it can somehow encourage those victims to fight and believe all dreams are possible."
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Audra Bryant: I've Got Scars Baby!
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Audra Bryant
was severely burned at a year and a half, had six surgeries between the ages of 2 and 16 and did not look at herself in the mirror until she was 25 because she did not want to see her scars. She gained confidence in herself through a journey of self-reflection and healing, becoming an inspiration to other burn survivors like her.
Audra is a Singer/Songwriter, Comedian, TV Producer, and Burn Survivor. She released a song entitled, “Scars” (see video attached). This powerful and uplifting song is derived from her personal journey toward self-love and is featured on her sophomore album, Through the Dark. Audra has since connected with organizations such as: Children’s Hospital of Michigan
(Pediatric Burn Unit), LAC-USC Hospital, Children’s Burn Foundation, and more to bring music and share her story with youth and adults, burn survivors, and non-burn survivors alike.
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Audra now guides other participants through their journey toward self-love and embracing their scars in her transformational workshop, “I’ve Got Scars Baby!”. Through transparency and intentionality, participants can gain tips and tools for allowing healing and self-empowerment to take place.
Audra's workshop assists participants in discovering how their scars have shown up in their lives (through career, relationships, with self), understanding the importance of embracing their scars and learning how their scars (internal or external) can serve them in their daily lives.
To participate in or bring this powerful workshop to your organization please send an email to: JSMarketingFirm@gmail.com
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Meet our Senior Burn Prevention Educators
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Barbara Rook
became a registered nurse at the age of twenty-one in 1968. She worked in intensive care units on Long Island until 1971, caring deeply for her patients until she left to follow her future husband to Sherman Oaks.
I
n January 1972, Barbara started working at the Sherman Oaks Hospital. She transferred to the Sherman Oaks Burn Unit two months later, on the day that it was officially opened as a dedicated burn unit. The burn unit was later renamed the Grossman Burn Center at Sherman Oaks Hospital, after its founder, Dr. A. Richard Grossman. For the next forty-three years, Barbara worked directly with Drs. Richard and Peter Grossman to care for burn survivors in our community until her official retirement in 2015.
Now, Barbara serves as an educator for the Senior Burn Prevention and Education program. Her passion for the Grossman Burn Foundation community and decades of hands-on experience make her an invaluable part of our team.
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A Shining Review from Our Latest Workshop:
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"Thank you so much for accepting the invitation to come to Union Towers to educate the seniors on such an important topic such as burns.
Honestly, I congratulate you for having these two EXTRAORDINARY ladies who have the energy and the experience/capacity to teach the topic. Barbara and Helena are beyong GREAT. They make such a wonderful, fun team, they engage residents in such a smooth manner. Residents are left with a lot of knowledge and tips on what TO DO and what NOT TO DO during a burn situation.
Barbara and Helena, please keep up that energy, sense of humor and a special sense of a human being. Trust me, all those qualities make a big difference in a person's life.
Union Towers is honored and delighted to have had Grossman Burn Foundation offer us a presentation.
Congratulations again!
Have a blessed day,
Karen Santos
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Resident Service Coordinator
Asset Management Department- Union Towers
Housing Authority of the City of Los Angeles"
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Helena San Marco
is a wife and a mother to three sons, who she moved to California with in 1979. She began working as a nurse's aid at the Sherman Oaks Hospital in 1980, where she found her life's work. By 1982, Helena became a licensed vocational nurse and continued to dedicate herself the needs of the Sherman Oaks community.
Helena joined the Sherman Oaks Burn Unit, now known as the Grossman Burn Center, three years later. She continued her medical education throughout her career, becoming a registered nurse in 1990. Helena's passion for her patient's care and expertise led to her promotion as charge nurse at the Grossman Burn Center.
She retired from this position in May 2017, later joining the Senior Burn Prevention and Education program at the Grossman Burn Foundation. As an educator, Helena now leads workshop presentations for both at-risk senior citizens and the healthcare providers that care for them, as she once one herself.
Join us in welcoming Helena and Barbara to our Senior Burn Prevention and Education team. Our highly-experienced educators are happy to lead workshops, teach first-aid and answer questions for senior citizens and healthcare providers in our community. To schedule a no-cost workshop or find out more information, please contact Muriel Fremy at 310-346-8011.
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8 Cooking Safety Tips
for Older Adults
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- The best time for you to cook is when you're wide awake, not sleepy or drowsy
- Wear short or close-fitting sleeves when cooking
- Keep dry pot holders and oven mitts close-by when cooking
- Cook on the front burners of the stove, with handles turned in
- Use microwave-safe containers that allow ventilation of the food when re-heating
- Allow food to rest after heating in the microwave
- Always wipe clean the stove, oven, exhaust fan to prevent grease buildup
- After cooking, make sure all burners and other appliances are turned off
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Grossman Burn Foundation, a California 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. All rights Reserved.
23679 Calabasas Road, Suite 270 Calabasas, CA 91302 Phone: (866) 411-4423 info@grossmanburnfoundation.org
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