good day.  well the trip west took a turn we hadnt planned for.  i guess with 30,000 miles on the road, living out doors- hiking, swimming, exploring new places i shouldnt be suprised when the trip turned into a fight for survival.  my grand daughter who is 3 yrs old broke her arm the day before we left.. no big deal, she didnt have pain and they put her in a cast that she could swim/shower in.  what happened next turned our vacation into a nightmare.

emma fell in the fire at a national forest campground near grandby co.  we had just finished a great dinner of hobo pizza, fruit pies, marshmellows.. the fire had been burning for hours and the campground had wood cut and available without limit.. thats my way to tell you how hot our fire was.  her mom pulled her out within seconds, and luckily there was a water facet right there.  her skin was burned off, and the tissue under it was white and black.  burns on her hand, back of both arms and back of both legs.  i am an emt and firefighter.. i had brought burn dressings which were gel soaked in an analgesic (paiin reliever).  after we cooled the burns a fellow camper, who was also an emt came over and we dressed all the burns.  she was over her crying within 15 minutes.  then she started repeating 'damn, damn, damn. '  i think god will forgive us, me for saying it the first time while i held her under the cold water , and then her for copying me.

after driving 10 miles to the hospital, we went 2 1/2 hrs by ambulance into denver to the burn center.  her mom road in the ambulance, and her brothers (ages 4 & 7 ) rode with me.  the boys were upset and i told them that all we could do is pray that she didnt have pain on her ride, and that god would heal her.  when we arrived in denver we found he had delivered on both counts.  the paramedics had given her narcotics and she was busy laughing about the light hooked on her toe ( pulse ox) and when the dressing came off the doctors told us that the burns where not as severe as they were told by the other hospital, after a terrorizing burned skin removal, and new dressings put on she was discharged.  we were told to stay in denver, and they would change the dressings in 5 days and determine if skin grafts were needed.  

i am writing this a month later, we are back in michigan.  the burns are healed.  she ended up with skin grafts, and the scars are dissappearing before our eyes.

i am so thankful that we were spared from a worse outcome.  we learned at the burn clinic that a new child, mostly ages 2 or 3, fall in a campfire everyweek and are treated at denvers childrens hospital.  it was heart breaking to see all the little ones waiting for their turn to scream thru a dressing change.

but, i am thankful.  i know we experience a miracle.   i saw those burns.  i saw the white tissue where the skin was scorched off.. but in denver those burns were pink again.  i am sure her brothers learned a powerful lesson in prayer that they will keep with them thru their lives.  me too.

i sorry i posted such a horrific post.  but the end was so much better than the start.  and to any of you that see someone get burned.  cool the area.. as long as you can.  at least 15 min.  there was some pink on her back where the smoke went up her shirt.  we were concerned with the other areas and never put water on that.. it was blistered when we got to the hospital.  and if you have a first aide kit. the gel burn dressings are expensive.  but priceless if you need to use them.  some of the gel must have gotten on her forehead and when i kissed her in the emergency room my lips went numb.  that kept her from being in agony.  they are a medical dressing, there isnt anything that needs to be scrubbed off.. if you can afford them - they are available from many ems suppliers.. send me a comment and i'll give you a link.  so, hug your kids, grandkids. .. (and a prayer never hurt)