On this day, at the age of ten- I was severely beaten and placed into a tub of hot-water, purposely by the person who was suppose to care for me- this person was my biological mothers sister- I was placed with my aunt after being taking away from my biological mother for Child Abuse and Neglect. It was the Department of Human Services who had placed me with my aunt, because they felt she would be best suited for me!

I’d lived with my aunt for 9 months, and there was a definite history of abuse, which involved starving, beatings, being locked in a closet for days in, and all which I reported to my case worker from DHS. Nothing was done about the complaints I filed with them and my school counsel. 

So it was that day of December 15th 1992- of which my life changed forever, it was about 10:30 am when everything started, after which I was told to strip and not knowing what their “her” plans were- she had disappeared from the bathroom door way and came back up 20 minutes later- at which she and her boyfriend picked me up and placed me into the bath tub full of hot-water  I remember blacking out after the first 6 mins  and her rubbing some type of lotion on the affect areas of the legs and feet.

At which she kept me home, in my room for 7 days and seven nights, not caring about the affects of what she had done to me. A child she suppose to care after; it was her boyfriend, who was a Police Officer-and the one that took part in the whole burning incident, he came home and got scared with me screaming- the seizers I was having because of the pain and infection that was setting in. It was the boyfriend that took me to a hospital in New Jersey- for which I was transferred to the Children Hospital of Philadelphia, where I remained in a coma for 7 days.

A plastic surgeon from the St. Christopher’s Hospital for Children heard about my case in the news  and requested that I be air lifted to the Pediatric Burn Center’ were I spent a long time undergoing Iv Antibiotics, pig skin auto grafting   and finally skin grafting, using the unburnt parts of my ten year body. I remained at St. Chris’s for a long time and then it was time for rehab therapy.

I was transferred to the Children Seashore House- next to Children’s Hospital- were I also spent a long time learning to walk again, talk, eat, bath and so forth!  It was also a new chapter in my life, as a nice woman named

Jacqueline Anna Frances McGeer, decided that she wanted to meet me and become a support figure- it was coming close to be discharged from the Seashore House, and the nurses knew of the relationship that had developed- by her constantly visiting me- so they suggested to her- that she seek approval from DHS and the Seashore

Administrators to take me out on day passes, of which we would go to the Show of Shows at the old Convention Center across the street from Seashore House, We would also go to the U of Penn Museum on 34th street.

So it was getting close to discharge and the nurses, social workers, and the mental health people thought it was and would be a good idea for her to take me a foster kid ergo “child’  !

So she took time off from work to attend the required training sessions offered by DHS and the State of Pa- she also had to pass a home safety test, which meant child-proofing the whole house for a ten year old. So that day came- when I was released from Children’s Seashore House and went home with the lady- who I have grown to really like-

After 2 years of living with her, she decided that DHS was too much a problem and that she would be best for me- So it was at that point she decided to adopt me- and at which she became the person who I refer as my Mother!

Life after being burned was hard for us both, she learning to adjust to her “first child” and me learning adjust to everyday life- outside of abuse and neglect- most of all learning to deal with the issues of being disfigured and going to a public school – Again, it was learning to adapt to constant name calling- because of the Shoes and the Stockings .a.k.a. Pressure Garments I had to wear.
My mother decided it would be best to move to a area were all walks of life’ is accepted- that area was Chestnut Hill, a community within the City of Philadelphia  that were we resided until she passed away at the age of 58. My mother developed what the doctors called a massive butterfly brain tumor- She went into the Hospital March 6th 1998 and died April 7th 1998 – she would have been 59 on April 12th of the same year!

So for me it was back to the awful hands of DHS, because my mother only hand cousins, as she was an only child- the cousins had their own life’s to live and didn’t want to raise another person child- as it was put to me- by my mother 1st cousin.

I remained in DHS’s hand until I turned 18 years old- which they wanted me to stay- be they kept placing me with people who only wanted the $1500.00 check a month for special needs child- I attended a school in the Upper Dublin area of Pa and also attended a Culinary Arts school on the trust fund my mother had setup for me, so that way I could always be in depended and not worry about finances.  

During the year of 2004, I had went to a agency for assistance in providing me with the Special stockings a.k.a Pressure Garments I was turned away from this particular agency, with the statement of “ they was not founded to help support the Burn Survivor – but to assist the Burn Centers “ in the Southeastern Pa Counties.

I then decided and felt something should be done about this- also this is the place my mother left half of her estate too- I wanted to do support groups at St. Chris’s and the Social Worker there stated you had to have all these documents in order to host them here, it was also a point when I was undergoing treatment from the Infections I still got at that time- so while watching TV in my hospital isolation room 332  I was filing the needed paperwork with the Department of State, Treasury and IRS.  All which was approved!

We –I, now have an organization called the United States Burn Support Organization.  I was 22 at the time of incorporation and establish an ad-hoc Executive Board to help facilitate the transactions of myself and ideas with the area hospitals and Public Safety Communities.

Going back before November of 04, I have always wanted to be a Fire Fighter, since the first time seeing them at the Burn Camps and at St. Christopher’s Child Life Department during the Christmas Holiday. They would be there with Car-1 (the Fire Commissioner) as referred to by the Philadelphia Fire Department.  Luckily I made friends with the Commissioner Hairston, and wanted to join the Philadelphia Fire Department.  Furthermore, the burns prevented that from happening. The Fire Commissioner Hairston suggested a Volunteer Fire Company, where he had a Medic from the City, who was also the Fire Chief at the fire House in the Montgomery County section of Pa!

I was voted into another a Fire Company, in the same township because the first one accused me of burning myself and being an arsonist. At this company, I had the honour to serve as Fire Police, which consist of traffic, crowd, control and any other function for which the paid Police of that township didn’t want to per-take. I went to the special classes- that consist of Basic Fire Police, Advance Fire Police, Hazmat, CPR, First Responders, Highway Incident and Safety Control, Legal Concepts for Fire Police, Communications for FP’s. I also took classes in the areas of Trench Rescue, Fire Officer 1 and 2- Basic Hazmat tech, all NIMS, Emergency Management, Arson Investigation- for First Responders, Fire Prevention and so fourth !

Back to the Present:

 After creating the United States Burn Support Organization, we was contacted by someone from the United Nations and they requested our assistance in creating a Disability Convention “treaty”  and so we took part, after which it came to an end- so we thought- but who knew it was just the Beginning !

In July of 2007, the United States Burn Support Organization became an NGO with the United Nations and its Member States- by the way of official votes, on us to take part in that capacity. In that same token, it also created the Office of the Commissioner for Burns, which presides over the International Burn Community as a whole, and in the same way of that of the Disability Community,

Onto the present:

As a burn Survivor, I had to learn how to deal with the everyday teasing  and then as I got older, I had to learn how to deal with the adults, who would blame me for burning myself, I had to learn to fend for myself- because people always assume the worst in a person with burns and /or disabilities. Learning to deal with those who discriminate because of race, sex, and creed and for that matter- my disability, I have to prove myself better and strive for that higher calling in life’

I never let those who wishes me ill-fate win, as my mother use to say” never let people treat you as if their Sh-doesn’t stink! A motto of hers I live with today.  In my capacity as the CEO and Founder of the United States Burn Support Organization and that as the Commissioner for Burns-representative of the International Burn Community,

I strive for a day- when burns are not used as a way of torture, abuse, punishment, thrills, and  I strive for a day, when burns occurrences doesn’t happen anymore, I also strive for a day, when people with Burns and Disabilities are treated as Equals and not as a parasite that begs for assistance-

I also strive for a day, when people are judged, based on character and not on looks and imperfections alone!