In this episode of Girls with Grafts, Rachel sits down with Abby Horton, MS, CCLS, a Certified Child Life Specialist with over a decade of experience supporting children and families through burn injuries and medical trauma. Abby's work spans pediatric burn care, inpatient rehabilitation, and critical care, and she brings that depth of experience to a conversation about one of the challenges families navigating a burn injury often face: how to prepare children for a visit to the burn center. 🏥

Drawing on her recent article in Journey Magazine, "Preparing Siblings and Children of Burn Survivors for a Burn Center Visit," Abby walks through why giving children a sense of choice and control matters so much, how caregivers can tell whether a child is ready to visit, and age-appropriate ways to talk about burn injuries and hospitalization. 🗣️ She also speaks candidly about the sibling experience—the fear, confusion, and guilt that can surface—along with the behavioral changes caregivers might see at home, from regression to withdrawal, and how to respond with patience rather than panic.

Whether you're a parent, a sibling, or someone who simply wants to better support a family going through this, Abby offers grounded, compassionate guidance for helping the youngest members of a burn survivor's circle feel seen, prepared, and cared for. ❤️

#BurnSurvivor #GirlsWithGrafts #Podcast #SurvivorPodcast #BurnSurvivorStories

⭐️ Enjoyed the show? Tell us by leaving a 5-star review and sharing on social media using hashtag #GirlswithGrafts and tagging Phoenix Society for Burn Survivors!

Abby Horton, MS, CCLS, is a Certified Child Life Specialist with over a decade of experience supporting children and families impacted by burn injuries and medical trauma. Her work spans pediatric burn care, inpatient rehabilitation, and critical care, with a focus on trauma-informed, developmentally appropriate support, school re-entry, and family-centered programming. She continues to work in both hospital and community settings, including private practice, extending burn-informed care beyond the hospital.

• Read Abby’s article “Preparing Siblings and Children of Burn Survivors for a Burn Center Visit: A Child Life Perspective:” https://www.phoenix-society.org/resources/preparing-siblings-and-children-of-burn-survivors-for-a-burn-center-visit
• Learn more and read Sara’s STEPS: https://www.phoenix-society.org/what-we-do/saras-steps
• Read “Supporting Siblings of Children with Burn Injuries:” https://www.phoenix-society.org/resources/supporting-siblings-of-children-with-burn-injuries
• Read “More Than Just Camp: How Pediatric Burn Camps Foster Healing, Belonging, and Growth:” https://www.phoenix-society.org/resources/more-than-just-camp-how-pediatric-burn-camps-foster-healing-belonging-and-growth

Today’s podcast is powered by the Pritzker Hageman Law Firm! The Pritzker Hageman burn injury legal team helps burn survivors and their loved ones pursue compensation and justice throughout the United States. Learn more at: LegalJourney.guide.

Interested in becoming a sponsor of the show? Email us at info@phoenix-society.org.

When Damon Spring joined his local volunteer fire department, he was answering a call to serve his community. 🚒 During his rookie year, that calling changed his life forever. On August 18, 2018, Damon was caught in a wildfire burnover sparked by a helicopter crash, an event that would come to be known as the Sheep Creek Fire.

In this episode, Rachel sits down with Damon to talk about what drew him to firefighting, the day everything changed, and the long road of physical and emotional recovery that followed. Damon opens up about the hardest stretch of his journey—years two through five post-injury—and the support that carried him through it.

Now eight years into his firefighting career and a Phoenix SOAR Peer Supporter, Damon is turning his experience into hope for others. ❤️ He recently launched Scar Warriors, a social media community where he shares his story and offers encouragement to fellow survivors and anyone struggling with their mental health.

#BurnSurvivor #GirlsWithGrafts #Podcast #SurvivorPodcast #BurnSurvivorStories

🔗 Looking for links? Check out our show’s description on Apple Podcasts or Spotify.

⭐️ Enjoyed the show? Tell us by leaving a 5-star review and sharing on social media using hashtag #GirlswithGrafts and tagging Phoenix Society for Burn Survivors!

Damon Spring is 29 years old and has been a volunteer firefighter for 8 years. During his rookie year, he was involved in a wildfire burnover sparked by a helicopter crash on August 18th, 2018, later known as the Sheep Creek Fire. Damon became a peer supporter for Phoenix Society for Burn Survivors because he wanted to help other survivors — something he hopes to continue growing in. He recently started a social media page called "Scar Warriors" as a way to share his story, help others, and offer a little hope to fellow survivors or anyone who's struggling mentally.

• Learn more about Phoenix SOAR (Survivors Offering Assistance in Recovery): https://resources.phoenix-society.org/phoenix-soar
• Follow Scar Warriors on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/scarwarriors/
• Join Phoenix Society’s next Virtual Support Group: https://www.phoenix-society.org/what-we-do/virtual-support-group
• Request a one-on-one peer support visit: https://resources.phoenix-society.org/peer-support-request

Today's podcast is powered by Summit Fire Consulting, a national fire protection engineering and code consulting firm helping people design and maintain complex buildings. Their experts interpret fire and building codes, design suppression and smoke management systems, and ensure safe egress in everything from healthcare facilities and historic buildings to stadiums and multi-family housing.

Interested in becoming a sponsor of the show? Email us at info@phoenix-society.org.

Heat hits differently when you're a burn survivor—and this week, we're getting into the science behind why. ☀️

Rachel and Amber sit down with Dr. Craig Crandall, Professor of Internal Medicine at UT Southwestern Medical Center and Director of the Thermal and Vascular Physiology Laboratory at Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital Dallas. For over 20 years, Dr. Crandall has been continuously funded by the NIH to study the long-term thermoregulatory and cardiovascular effects of severe burn injuries and he brings all of that expertise to the table in this conversation.

We dig into how Dr. Crandall first found his way into burn research, what actually happens in a survivor's body during heat stress, and why heat tolerance looks so different after a burn injury. From there, we walk through the Burn Survivor Heat Risk Calculator—breaking down what each input means (think TBSA, burn location, body weight, activity level, and more) and why it matters for your safety. We also cover cooling strategies, why your heart rate might spike in the heat, and the critical role hydration plays in regulating your body temperature. 🏃

We highly recommend watching this one on YouTube for the full experience!

#BurnSurvivor #GirlsWithGrafts #Podcast #SurvivorPodcast #BurnSurvivorStories

⭐️ Enjoyed the show? Tell us by leaving a 5-star review and sharing on social media using hashtag #GirlswithGrafts and tagging Phoenix Society for Burn Survivors!

Craig Crandall is a professor of Internal medicine at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center and is the director of the Thermal and Vascular Physiology laboratory at Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital Dallas. For over 20 years he has been continuously funded by the NIH to assess the long-term thermoregulatory and cardiovascular consequences of severe burn injuries.

• Access the Heat Rick Calculator: https://www.phoenix-society.org/resources/burn-survivor-heat-risk-calculator
• Visit the Thermal & Vascular Physiology Laboratory website: https://www.texashealth.org/ieem/Research/Thermal-and-Vascular-Physiology-Laboratory
• Contact Craig & his team: ieemthermoregulationthd@texashealth.org

Today’s podcast is powered by the Board of Certification for Emergency Nursing (BCEN)! BCEN is committed to advancing burn care through the Certified Burn Registered Nurse, or CBRN, credential — a certification designed to recognize specialized knowledge and expertise across the burn care continuum. Learn more by visiting https://bcen.org.

Interested in becoming a sponsor of the show? Email us at info@phoenix-society.org.