Surviving Burns

ORLANDO, Fla. (Ivanhoe Broadcast News) -- Each year, thousands of people suffer from painful and often life-threatening burns. Advances in burn care have made the road to recovery a little easier, but the emotional recovery is still a tough one for these patients. Now a doctor helps burn survivors face that challenge head on.

"I could hear the sound of the flames, the crackling of the wood, smell of the smoke and see the light," plastic surgeon Mark McDonough, M.D., tells Ivanhoe. He has a vivid memory of the fire that ripped through his home when he was just 16. "If you can imagine standing inside the oven on Thanksgiving Day when you're basting the turkey," he says. "Climbing in there and closing the door, it felt that hot."

He was the oldest of five boys. Three brothers made it out alive. His mother and 6-year-old Toby did not. That life-changing night set mark on a course he never expected. He's now a plastic surgeon -- helping others like him.

"Maybe just by sharing my experience, they get a little bit more help. They feel so grateful that it's very rewarding," Dr. McDonough says.

Minkel White is one of those patients. He was burned on the job by thermoplastic. He tells Ivanhoe: "I went to go grab the cap to make sure it was on tight, and the cap was stripped, so it popped off. So, 500 degrees of plastic landed all over me. I have had probably about 20 surgeries, and we still have a lot more to go."

But White says Dr. McDonough is making it easier. "I would not trust myself with any other doctor, because like I said, I can relate to him," White says. "He understands what I am going through. He is almost like a father to me."

White says he needs that kind of support. "It is the wisdom of having my wife with me by my side and knowing that there are some people out there, such as Dr. McDonough, that really care," he says.

Interestingly, Dr. McDonough spent eight years working in physical therapy before he decided to go to medical school at age 30. Minkel has no plans of going back to his job with thermoplastics and says Dr. McDonough has inspired him to fulfill his dream of being in the film industry.

This article was reported by Ivanhoe.com, who offers Medical Alerts by e-mail every day of the week. To subscribe, go to: http://www.ivanhoe.com/newsalert/.

If you would like more information, please contact:

Sarah Cepregi
615 Princeton St.
Suite 540
Orlando, FL 32803
(407) 896-4440