Alberta teen who suffered severe frostbite attends burn camp in D.C.
It started as a typical family snowmobiling trip on Jan. 20, 2011 for a seven-year-old Deeanna Cowan and her family. But 71/2 years later, the 15-year-old third-degree frostbite victim is recovering from the traumatic injury by keeping her spirits high and making the most out of the cards she’s been dealt.
Cowan, from Ardrossan just east of Edmonton, is one of 44 youths from across North America bound for Washington, D.C., Saturday for the International Association of Fire Fighters Burn Camp. The weeklong camp is hosted by professional firefighter counsellors to help teen burn survivors come to terms with their life-changing injuries.
“It was hard to go back and be who I am,” Cowan said after the frostbite scarred her right leg and caused an indent of about three centimetres. “I had to push myself to get walking again and realize I just can’t stop myself because a traumatic thing has happened.”
Temperatures during the family snowmobile trip to Bruderheim dipped to -31 C and Cowan said she didn’t realize until she was back at home that her snowmobile pants weren’t fully covering her legs.
At first it was a bruise that turned into a blister, forcing several visits to the emergency room before Cowan said she was told she had third-degree frostbite.
Since the injury, Cowan had a skin graft to move skin from her hip to her injured leg, a fat injection, and just started laser surgery to lessen the scarring.
“I think I push myself to my limits where I can do everything I want. I still go on very long hikes, I run,” she said.
Cowan has attended numerous burn camps in Alberta, but this will be her first trip to the international program.
“It shows me that I’m not alone. There are other people who have been through a lot, too,” she said.
The international burn camp is welcoming six Canadians at the recommendation of directors from regional camps across North America, camp director Tom Flamm said Saturday.
Edmonton resident Laura Vey of the city’s firefighter burn treatment unit will be attending as one of the experienced counsellors mentoring the youth.
“Many of us have seen this firsthand,” Flamm said of the counsellors involved in the program, many of whom are burn survivors themselves.
There’s also a full slate of trips planned for the week, including an air show and tours of the Smithsonian Museums.
“I’m a very strong person and I can face hard challenges when they come my way,” Cowan said about what she’s learned in dealing with her injury.
“It’s really made me who I am and the strong girl I’ve become.”