Updates

I am embarrassed by how long it's been since I provided an update on this blog. I started it with the absolute best of intentions and unfortunately, life gets in the way of blogging sometimes.

We did receive some donations in April and I want to send an enormous THANK YOU to those who made a donation. All of the April donors have actually asked to remain anonymous and to NOT be put into the raffle drawing for May 1 so that others could have a chance to win the prize. So... that leaves us with no "eligible" entries for April and thus, no May 1 winner.

So.... for the drawing on June 1, the winner will have their choice between 2 prizes, the one that was supposed to be for April 1 (since the winner that month asked for something else, which I gladly made and sent to her) and the one that was supposed to be for May 1 (since there were no "eligible" entries during the month of April. The two prizes are (click to view):

Pastel colors flannel baby quilt

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Go Green reusable shopping tote

Here is some more detail on how to enter the next raffle drawing.

Now for the good part, the Ana update!

Ana is currently spending a month visiting her extended family in Guatemala. She's been there for about 2 weeks and will be away for another 2 weeks. I have not spoken to her since she's been away, but I did get to visit with her a few times right before she left. She's doing pretty well, she'd been going to the gym and working out every day. She was still in pain, which is so awful 13 months after the initial accident. However, she was walking better and starting to get her confidence back and had even practiced driving a few times (slowly, in parking lots!).

I miss her a lot and I'm looking forward to her coming back home, but I hope she's having a great time with her brothers, sisters, cousins, nieces and nephews that she hasn't seen in many years. I'm sure that "family time" will do her a world of good overall.

Thank you all for your continued prayers and support. They make the biggest difference!

With thanks and appreciation,
Kat

Ana Update

Shameful how long it's been since I posted an update. My home internet has not been cooperating and I've been making a concerted effort to spend my "free" time away from the computer. However, I know that there are many people keeping Ana in their thoughts and prayers and it's long overdue for me to post an update on her progress.

I actually spent this afternoon with Ana, as well as last Sunday afternoon and the weekend before that, too. Her progress over the past month has been incredible. She is not only walking but working out at the gym at least 3 days/week. She's using the treadmill and doing weight exercises to build her muscles back up. She is bandage free but wears compression stockings to keep the skin smooth while it heals (picture thick knee-high stockings with the toes cut off). She looks great, she sound great and compared to three months ago, she feels great, too. What a blessing!

Ana's spirits were also lifted greatly last week when her oldest son came to visit for a few days. I've known Ana for 8 years and it's the first time I'd met him, he lives quite far away. I know her youngest son very well (he lives here in Florida) and have met her middle son several times. I was not a bit surprised that her oldest was as sweet and wonderful as the other two. We had a "family" BBQ last Sunday and it felt like he'd been part of "the family" just as long as anyone else. I know Ana was thrilled to see him and I hope we get to see him again (and meet his wife and two adorable little boys) very soon.

For those who have been praying for Ana, for all of her angels... please continue to do so. I believe it's the thoughts, prayers and love that helped her come so far these past few months.

With thanks and appreciation,
Kat

April 2009 Raffle

The April raffle is now open! For every $5 you donate, you will receive one entry into the monthly drawing. There is no limit on the number of entries per person per month. The April drawing will take place on May 1, 2009.

This month's prize is a quilted "go green" shopping tote. It measures approximately 12" across, 8" deep and 14" high. The fabric is ivory with little green swirls and the lining is solid green. There is a pocket on the outside and a velcro-closed flap on the top. The handles are sturdy and comfortable and as always, it's home made by yours truly with love!

See "What are the raffles all about?" or "Donation details" for more information.

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March 2009 Raffle Winner

Congratulations to Adrienne in Arizona, who was the Angels for Ana raffle winner for March. Her name was randomly selected from all the donations/entries received from March 1 - 31, 2009.

I happen to know Adrienne personally, she's a co-worker of mine and a wonderful friend. The prize for March was supposed to be a quilted flannel baby blanket but Adrienne's kids are too old for baby blankets and too young for Adrienne to be thinking about grandkids... so she asked me instead to save that prize for someone who could use it more than she could right now. Offering to make her something else instead, bless her heart, she asked for one of those fabric tube "thingies" that you use to collect and contain plastic shopping bags. Adrienne, your wish is my command, it will be on the way to you soon!

I'll write a separate entry highlighting the April 2009 raffle prize, with the original March prize up for grabs again in May.

March 1 winner and April 1 prize

March 1, the day for our very first ever Angels for Ana raffle prize drawing!! During the month of February, we had generous donations from all across the country and I wish I had the time to make a quilt for each and every person who donated. The kind thoughts and generosity mean so much to Ana, I can't put into words how touched she is by everyone's support.

The winner of today's raffle (chosen randomly from all the donations received from Feb 1 - Feb 28) is a person who wished to remain anonymous when he made his donation, so I'll announce him here only as "Anonymous in New Jersey." I already sent him a note to tell him he won and the quilt will be in the mail tomorrow.

Our next raffle drawing period begins today, with the next winner to be selected on April 1 from all the donations / raffle entries from March 1 - 31. The next prize is a light-weight flannel baby quilt, which measures approximately 28" wide by 35" long. It's done in pastel blue, yellow, green and purple with a yellow backing and green binding.

Thanks once again to everyone who became an Angel for Ana in February! Please keep the comments and emails coming, it always makes Ana's day to read them.

And speaking, of course, of Ana... She stopped by for a few minutes last night. Her legs are looking so much better, I'm still amazed at all the progress she's made in just the past month. She won't be running a marathon anytime soon, but it's good to see her walking a little more confidently and leaving the house without "hiding" her legs so much. For the first time since the accident, she was strong enough to pick up my 2-year-old while she (Ana) was standing. That's a really big step, her knowing that she's physically strong enough to do that. And she smiles now, and laughs. A really happy, infectious laugh that I haven't heard in a very long time and didn't realize how much I missed. Life is good and only getting better.

With thanks and appreciation,
Kat

March 2009 Raffle

The March raffle is now open! For every $5 you donate, you will receive one entry into the monthly drawing. There is no limit on the number of entries per person per month. The March drawing will take place on April 1, 2009. .
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This month's prize is a flannel baby quilt. It measures approximately 28" x 35". The top is made in pastel yellow, blue, purple and green. The back is yellow and the binding is green.
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See "What are the raffles all about?" or "Donation details" for more information.

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Two days left!

Ana is doing pretty well. She's been battling a cold / the flu since she got out of the hospital and is still having a lot of aches and pains associated with the nerves growing back and using muscles that she didn't use in 9 months. However, she's walking almost everywhere and actually bought a pair of real shoes for the first time in 10 months. OK, they're slipper clogs... but close enough.

Remember, only 2 days left to enter the raffle for the March 1 prize drawing!! Here's a link to the picture of the prize and the raffle rules. On March 1, I'll not only announce the winner of the February 1-28 raffle, but also announce the April 1 raffle prize. Remember, every $5 donated gets you 1 entry into the raffle for the month in which the donation was received.

Thanks to everyone who's shown so much love and support to Ana. Every bit makes a difference.

With thanks and appreciation,
Kat

A Note from Ana

A very special treat today... a note from Ms. Ana herself! :-)

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This note is for everyone that has sent their prayers, best wishes and donations. I want to thank you from the bottom of my heart and to let you know that I am doing very well. I started my physical therapy and also started walking without any help from any apparatus, just my little skinny legs. It is still quite painful but is a big leap from where I was a month ago. If there is anyone in this area of Florida that you know who has had a similar accident please, please take them to a burn center. Do not ask and do not hesitate, just do it, do not let anyone tell you different because your life as you know it changes after a burn.

So my dearest Angels, thank you so much for everything you have done for me and specially I want to thank Kathy, the daughter I never had (I have three beautiful sons). She is special and kind, the best person I have ever met in my life.

Hope to keep in touch as much as I can, as soon as I have my home computer fixed.

Thanks again,
Ana

17 Days, Lovely Blog and Ana Update

Only 17 days left (including today) to enter the very first ever Angels for Ana raffle! The drawing will take place on March 1 and the winner will receive a home made quilt (see picture in post below this one). I know it's a tough time for everyone economically and there are so many worthy causes out there, so I'm doing my best to provide incentive for people to make a donation to help Ana with her medical expenses. Anyone who makes a donation (in any amount) will get their name listed on The Angel Roster on this site, along with a link to any (family friendly) URL you'd like. In addition, for every $5 you donate, you get one entry into the monthly raffle prize drawing. I've done my best to make this month's prize a great one... it was certainly made with love and I'm sure you won't be disappointed!

I would also like to give a special thank you to my friend Julie (aka, The Surrendered Scribe) for all her help in sharing Ana's story and this site with her many, many friends and incredible cyber network. She also blessed us with this lovely "Lovely Blog" award. I certainly didn't start this site for fame or glory, but it's always nice to be noticed. Thank you, Julie!


Now, on to the Ana update. (I saved the best for last!) Ana continues to improve every day. The nasty cold / flu / whatever it was she had last week is finally gone and she's feeling pretty good. She's continuing with her physical therapy a few times a week and walking much more now. I believe her weekly appointment is tomorrow, and we're hoping and praying the bandages come off the right leg this week, too. They're certainly not "pretty" but I saw the burns when they were only a week or so old and the difference is absolutely amazing. I can't put into words how happy I am for her and the progress that she has (finally) made with the healing.

Your prayers and thoughts are very much appreciated. Please keep them coming! If you'd like to send a note to Ana, you can do so here.

With thanks and appreciation,
Kat

Prayers, Praise, Prize and Pictures

Thank you, thank you, THANK YOU for all the prayers for Ana. I am thrilled to tell you that she has made more progress in the past 2 weeks than in the past 9 months and I believe in my heart that your prayers have played a huge role in that. From the children who pray for her in Sunday School (thank you, ERC!) to the people who pass her story along their prayer chains to those of you we've never even met... the power of prayer is amazing and Ana can feel your prayers and your kind thoughts.

Now for the praise!! On Friday, Ana returned to the burn unit for her weekly checkup. Her wounds have healed enough (again, in less than 2 weeks!) that for the first time since the accident last April, she is completely bandage free on her left leg. Completely bandage free!! On her right leg, she is bandaged only around her ankle and a few inches up her leg. If she continues on this path, she should be completely bandage free on her right leg after her next appointment. YAY!!!

To celebrate, my younger daughter (Jessica) and I went to visit Ana on Friday night. We brought her a cake and a fun balloon and had a "bandages off" party. Clearly my skills do not lie in the area of photography (as evidenced by the fuzzy, poorly lit picture here) but the smiles on their faces will give you an idea of the sheer joy of that moment.

Last but not least, I have finally completed the raffle prize for the first ever "Angels for Ana" prize drawing, which will take place on March 1. For every $5 you donate (all of which goes directly to Ana to help cover medical-related expenses), you will receive one entry into the drawing for this quilt, which was home made by yours truly.

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I call this the "Cheery Cuddle Quilt." It's a light-weight quilt (cotton batting) made from cheerful green, yellow, purple and blue fabrics. It measures approximately 47" wide x 58" long. The back is light blue. You can donate / enter the raffle by clicking on the "Click here to donate" daisy button on the top right of this site. If you prefer to send a check, email me at AngelsForAna@gmail.com and I'll send you the mailing address. For more information on the raffle or donations, use the links on the right side of this site under the heading "About Angels for Ana."

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Again, thank you to everyone who has prayed, donated, shared Ana's story or passed along your kind words in a comment or an email. Though a great deal of progress has been made, there's still more work to do. Please keep the prayers coming!

With thanks and appreciation,

Kat

Ana Update: February 5

First of all, THANK YOU to everyone who has posted a comment, sent an encouraging email or made a donation to help Ana with her medical expenses. The response to this site has been wonderful and I know that Ana is touched and amazed by your kind words and generosity. This weekend I'll be visiting with Ana and will deliver print-outs of all the comments and emails, along with a check for the donations made so far. Remember, every $5 you donate earns you 1 entry into the monthly raffle prize drawing. The first drawing will take place on March 1 and the prize will be a hand made quilt that I hope to have finished by the end of the weekend. (You can see a picture of the work in progress here.) There is no limit on the number of entries per month (i.e., $50 buys you 10 tickets) and no donation amount is insignificant.

For those of you may be visiting this site for the first time, you can use the links on the right side of the page to navigate around the site and learn more about Angels for Ana.

Now, on to the Ana Update...

Ana was released from the hospital on Monday night (Feb 2nd). I think it was on Sunday that they took her off the IV antibiotics and pain medication, switching to pills every few hours instead. It's very good news that the staph infection was doing "better enough" to get her off the IV, but she had a few rough days (nausea, chills, headaches) from going "cold turkey" off the IV pain meds. Though she was happy to be going home (after 7 nights in the hospital when she only expected to be going there for a "second opinion" appointment) but at the same time, probably a bit nervous to be away from the doctors and nurses and treatment that she'd been receiving.

Now that her temporary insurance has expired, everything from here on out (including the 7 nights she just spent in the hospital) will get billed fully to her. She has prescriptions for cleaning supplies (she has to clean her wounds twice/day at home) and medication (antibiotics and pain medication). She needs to continue physical therapy (at the original treatment facility) and go back to the burn unit (where she just spent the 7 nights) for weekly checkups. I know she's worried about the cost but we're trying to get her to focus on the fact that she's making progress in the right direction and that's the most important thing. Also, the physical therapist from the new facility told her no more walker or wheelchair at home or for short distances... she needs to move on her own 2 feet. For the first time in almost 10 months, she's walking up and down stairs (instead of going up and down on her tush) and that alone is a huge morale boost. Amen for baby steps!

Of course, by Tuesday night she was down for the count with a bad case of the flu... body aches, chills, head congestion, sinus pressure, the works. Not what she needs on top of everything else. If anyone has an extra break, could you throw it Ana's way? She's really trying to catch one!

Again, thank you to everyone who has commented, emailed or donated. There's still plenty of time left to enter the first raffle prize drawing!

With thanks and appreciation,
Kat

Welcome to "Angels for Ana"

Welcome to Angels for Ana and thank you for stopping by. This is a new site aimed at bringing hope and help to a dear friend of mine, Ana, who received very severe 2nd and 3rd degree burns on both legs and feet back in April 2008. Her road to recovery has been slow and painful, typically following a "one step forward, two steps back" pattern.

Please take a look around the site, you can use the links on the right side of the page to navigate around easily. You can learn more about Ana, the purpose of this site, how Ana is doing and how you can provide hope, help and encourage to Ana by becoming one of her angels.

If you have questions, comments, similar experiences or helpful resources, please sign her guestbook or leave a comment or send me an email at AngelsForAna@gmail.com. Every little bit of encouragement goes a long way to helping her down the path to recovery.

Blessings,
Kat

Who is Ana?

Ana is a 50-something mother of three grown boys and grandmother of two adorable little ones. Though we technically share no blood or legal relationship, she has been a very special part of my life for over eight years. There is no question that she is “family.”

Ana has been a hard worker her entire life, often working more than one job at a time to support her three children as a single mother. She has always been a vivacious, active, loving woman who never hesitates to put her children and her family before herself.

On April 11, 2008, Ana received very severe 2nd and 3rd degree burns on both legs and feet (from above the knees down to the toes) when a large pot of boiling water tipped over next to her. She was air-lifted to the closest trauma center, treated and released the same day. She did not have any medical insurance.

The next day, in severe pain, Ana returned to the hospital to have her bandages changed. She was in shock and her body temperature was in the low 90 degree range. She spent the next several weeks in and out of the trauma center, often for days at a time.

Ana applied for and was granted county-provided trauma insurance medical coverage for the burn-related medical expenses. She received weekly treatments at the hospital and at times, in-home nursing care and physical therapy. This coverage is good only in the county where she lives, at one specific hospital and with a small number of participating doctors and therapists. This insurance coverage ends January 31, 2009.

Progress was slow, but progress was made. By early January 2009, nine months after the accident, Ana was finally able to take a few steps at a time on her own. The skin on her legs and feet was finally beginning to cover the wounds. In mid-January, however, the new skin began to disappear and the pain intensified. Ana decided to go for a second opinion at the burn unit of a different hospital in a nearby county, even though they did not take her insurance and could not provide her with any coverage because she was not a resident of the county where that facility was located.

Though this visit was supposed to be only for a second opinion, the doctors were gravely concerned about the severity of her wounds. They were baffled by the treatment she had been receiving, the minimal overall progress she had made and the condition of her wounds after 9 ½ months. They admitted her to the hospital and determined that she had a severe staph infection on one foot.

Though the care she is now receiving is far superior to what she had been receiving at the first facility, the cost of the treatment is astronomical. A bed alone for one week in this facility comes with a price tag of $17,000. Because she does not have insurance, Ana will be responsible for the cost of this care. She does not yet know how long she will have to stay.

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What is "Angels for Ana"?

“Angels for Ana” is a site dedicated to helping Ana recover, both physically and emotionally. Through prayer, sharing her story and the sale of raffle tickets for a monthly prize to help offset some of the enormous financial ramifications of her injuries, I hope to find as many Angels as possible who are willing and able to help in this mission.

This site is run by me, Kat. I’m a mother of two little girls, I have a full-time job outside the home and life for me, as for everyone, is a very busy juggling act. Family is always first on my priority list and Ana is included in that. I would do anything in my power to get “our Ana” back, and this site is my kind-hearted attempt to help make that happen. I urge you to consider helping me help by becoming an “Angel for Ana.”

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How can you help?

First, please keep Ana in your thoughts and prayers.
I am a firm believer that prayers can move mountains and Ana has some big mountains in front of her. When I ask what I can do for her, prayer is always her first request.

Second, spread the word.
Email your friends. Blog about her. Share her story and ask others to do the same. The more Angels we have on her side, the better. If you do share her story, feel free to use the pretty bloggy button at the bottom of this post to let everyone know that you’re an Angel for Ana.

Third, if you are able, make a donation.
100% of all donations (minus the small service fee that PayPal charges on our end) will be given directly to Ana to cover medical-related care and expenses for her injuries. For every $5 you donate, you will receive one entry into a monthly drawing for a raffle prize. Donations can be made in any amount via PayPal (just click on the Daisy button on the upper right side of this blog) or you can mail a check. Please email me at AngelsForAna@gmail.com if you wish to mail a check and I’ll provide the address.

Fourth, send her a note.
If you would like to send a personal message to Ana, be it words of encouragement, your own similar story, names of resources that may be able to help or anything else, you can leave a comment on on this site (see: Sign Ana’s Guest Book or Leave a Comment) or send an email to AngelsForAna@gmail.com. I will make sure she receives a printed copy of your note.

For more detailed information, refer to “What are the raffles all about?” or “Donation Details and Angel Roster.”

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What are the raffles all about?

Economic times are hard for everyone and there are so many worthy causes out there. In order to provide a bit of incentive for you to become an Angel for Ana, this site will offer a monthly raffle prize. For every $5 (US dollars) you donate, you will receive one entry into the monthly drawing. If you donate $5, you will receive one entry. For $50, you will receive 10 entries. Odds of winning are dependent on the number of entries received in a given month.

Entries will be considered for the month in which the donation is received. For example, donations received from February 1 – February 28 will be eligible for the drawing on March 1st. Donations received from March 1 – March 31 will be eligible for the drawing on April 1st.

Please note that it may take a few days for PayPal to process your donation, so donations made at the end of the month may not be received until the beginning of the next month. You will be eligible for the raffle during the month your donation was received into the Angels For Ana PayPal account, even if it was sent in the previous month.

I will email the winner(s) within three days of the drawing to obtain shipping information for mailing your prize. Shipping costs will be at my expense and I can ship anywhere in the world. I cannot guarantee delivery times since I don’t work for the postal service, but I do promise to mail the prize within one week of receiving your mailing address. If the winner does not respond to my email by the first of the following month, they will forfeit the prize. (I’ll send reminder emails during the month, in case you miss the first one.) In the event of no response, I will draw another name and award the prize to the new person.

See also “Donation Details.”

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February 2009 Raffle

The February raffle is now open! For every $5 you donate, you will receive one entry into the monthly drawing. There is no limit on the number of entries per person per month. The February drawing will take place on March 1, 2009.

This month's prize is a "Cheery Cuddle Quilt." Made with love by yours truly, this lightweight quilt is perfect as a throw, for children or as a lap quilt for an adult. It measures approximately 47" x 58". The top is made of cotton and poly/cotton blend fabrics in yellows, blues, purples and greens. The back is light blue.

See "What are the raffles all about?" or "Donation details" for more information.

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Donation Details

Donations can be made in any amount via PayPal (via the Daisy button on the upper right side of this blog) or you can mail a check. Please email me at AngelsForAna@gmail.com if you wish to mail a check and I’ll provide the address.

100% of all donations (minus the small service fee that PayPal charges on our end for donations made via a credit card) will be given directly to Ana to cover medical-related care and expenses for her injuries. There is no service fee to you when you use PayPal and you do not have to have an existing PayPal account.

Please note that I’m a one-woman show, not a registered charity or organization. To that end, your donation is not tax-deductible. PayPal will email you a receipt for your payment to “Angels for Ana” and I’ll send you an email confirmation from AngelsForAna@gmail.com as well. At that time, I will ask if you would like your name added to our “Angels for Ana” roster on this site. If so, I will ask you to provide me with the name you would like to have displayed (i.e., Susie Smith or Susie or Susie S. or S. Smith, etc.), city and state (optional) and if you would like me to link to a URL you provide. I can link to your blog, your website, your business, etc. Please note that this is a family-friendly site and I reserve the right to moderate names or links if they do not meet “family friendly” guidelines.

For every $5 you donate, you will receive one entry into a monthly drawing for a raffle prize.

See also “What are the raffles all about?”

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The Angel Roster

THANK YOU to the following people for being an Angel for Ana:

~ Anonymous in New Jersey
~ Anonymous in Tennessee
~ Adrienne in Arizona
~ Craig in Florida
~ Jeanine in Virginia
~ Julie in Ohio (for her never-ending support and sharing Ana's story)
~ Paula in Florida
~ Terry Valentine in New York (provider of the daisy photo used on this site)

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How is Ana doing?

New updates will be added as often as possible. Please note that the most recent update is on top, so if you'd like to read a chronological version, scroll down and start reading from the bottom of this post.

January 31, 2009: Ana's county-provided trauma insurance expires today. Not only is she uninsured at the hospital where she's currently being treated, she no longer has coverage at the facility where she was being treated for the past 9 1/2 months. I shared my "Angels for Ana" website idea and she agreed to let me give it a shot.

January 29, 2009: Thankfully, Ana's staph infection can be treated with antibiotics. The doctors believe that Ana's wounds are healing. Slowly, but surely. They wanted to do skin grafts (from her own body, not a petri dish) but want to monitor her for a few more days to see how the wounds are healing on their own. She's in much better spirits today.

January 28, 2009: The doctors confirm that Ana does have a staph infection and that may be the reason why the skin has come back off and her wounds are so sore. It will be another day before the tests confirm if the staph can be treated with antibiotics or not. If not, this could be a life-threatening infection. Ana sounds terrible and my heart breaks for her at the thought of this setback.
January 27, 2009: Physical Therapists and nurses at the hospital have told Ana she has to walk, walk, walk. They made her walk to the gym and back and climb a few flights of stairs. This is the first time since April that she's been on stairs, as the last doctors told her she was not allowed and had to go up and down on her tush. The new therapists also showed her why the way she had been walking was wrong, and her helping to re-teach her how to walk again. They are also providing the appropriate level of pain medication to ease with the pain from the therapy. Though exhausted, she sounds more hopeful and optimistic today than she has in many months.

January 26, 2009: Ana decided to visit Jackson Memorial Hospital Burn (Trauma) Center for a second opinion on her wounds. She knew the hospital did not take her temporary insurance and could not provide her with any, since she does not live in the county where the hospital is located. Upon seeing her injuries, the doctors determined that she most likely had a staph infection and had to be admitted for further observation and treatment. They told her that her burns looked about 3-4 weeks old. They happened 9 1/2 months ago.

Ana was asked to provide a $17,000 deposit (the cost of 5 days at the hospital, not including doctors or medication). Unable to pay, Ana told the doctors she could not stay. The doctors and nurses went to bat for her and got her a bed. They expect she'll stay for 1-2 days. However, the bill will still follow.

January 24, 2009: Ana's spirits are low. The wounds are once again becoming very painful and have been burning badly for several days. About 10 days ago, the new skin that had been covering the wounds began to come off, leaving the wounds open and exposed once again. She is not able to take as many steps on her own.

January 9, 2009: I took the day off from work to do some projects around the house. I brought Ana to my house so we could spend the day together while I worked, and was thrilled to see that she was able to walk short distances on her own without the help of the walker. A thin layer of skin is finally beginning to cover the open wounds.

December 2008: Ana has started Physical Therapy again and is beginning to build strength in her feet, ankles, legs, hips and back once again. By the end of the month she'll finally be able to take a few steps with the help of a walker... her first steps since the accident back in April.

August 2008: This picture was taken on Ana's birthday, you can see the bandages on her legs and feet. She's admiring a gift that my daughter Rachel made for her, and on her lap is a quilt we made for her. It's in shades of her favorite color (purple!) and has embroidered hand prints of her 3 sons and 2 grandsons.

June 12, 2008: The skin grafts from last month had been healing well, but last week when Ana went to have the bandages changed (she had been going once/week, no more in-home nurse), the bandages were stuck to the skin and in the process of removing them, the skin grafts came off with the bandages. Ana’s wounds are back to where they were prior to the procedure. She is now going twice/week to have the bandages changed in the hopes they won't get as "stuck" in a shorter period of time, but the changing and cleaning is very painful. In addition, she now has started physical therapy (at home) 3 other days/week, which leaves her in a lot of pain. It's been 2 months since the accident and she's not walking yet. In addition to her feet and legs, her hips and back are sore from not moving enough, and she'll need intense PT on those areas, as well.

May 5, 2008: After weeks of back-and-forth between doctors, they have decided that skin grafts are in order. They have decided to use grafts from a petri dish, not Ana's own skin.

April 25, 2008: A nurse begins coming to Ana’s house to clean her wounds daily. I was with her today. I let her squeeze my hand to ease the pain during the cleaning, and I hope to have the feeling back in my fingers within a few says. The foot of the stuffed bunny she was biting (to keep from screaming) managed to stay attached by a few threads. After washing her feet and legs, the nurse put on creams made to eat away at the dead skin so the new skin could grown. The cream is very painful because it eats the good skin, too. This is the first time I’ve seen Ana’s burns and I’ve never seen a horror movie that even comes close. I can’t imagine the pain she is in.

April 24, 2008: Ana is admitted to the hospital in the morning to have a surgical procedure to clean her feet. Due to the severity of the burns (3rd degree), however, the doctor decided not to do this procedure and instead explore the option of skin grafts. She was released from the hospital in the afternoon.

April 23, 2008: Ana is out of the hospital but must return every few days to have her wounds cleaned and bandages changed. She must go to one specific burn clinic (at the trauma unit of the hospital where she was first treated) due to limitations of her temporary insurance. The latest treatment has been "whirlpool cleanings" where she is placed into a large whirlpool to help loosen the dead skin on her legs and feet, which is then scrubbed off with a brush to make way for the new skin growth. The pain, even with medication, is so severe that she is in an out of consciousness during these cleanings. The doctors decided today to admit her to the hospital and put her under to do the cleaning.

April 14, 2008: Ana is still in the hospital but is able to sit up in a chair for the first time in 3 days, though still not allowed to put weight on her legs. She is reacting (with nausea) to every pain medication the doctors have tried, so each round of pain meds is followed by a round of anti-nausea meds. Very good news, though, is that she qualified for a county-provided insurance coverage which will cover her trauma-related care and some amount of after-care and physical therapy.

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April 12, 2008: Ana returned to the hospital to have her bandages changed. Her body temperature was dangerously low (she was in shock) and the blisters and pain were considerably worse. She was admitted to the trauma unit for observation and treatment. She was told it would be several days before she’d be able to walk on her own.

April 11, 2008: Ana received very severe 2nd and 3rd degree burns to both legs and feet (above the knees to the toes) when a large pot of boiling water tipped over next to her. Fortunately, there were other people nearby who were able to throw her into a sink, pour cold water on her legs, remove her shoes and call 911. She was air-lifted to the closest trauma center where she was treated and released with instructions not to put any weight on her legs or get them wet. Ana did not have any medical insurance.

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