The Heart Of a Lion Samir Alniswan’s courage, will to survive and the expert care he received at the Firefighters Burn Center helped him return home to continue his rehabilitation. On the day he is discharged from Regional One Health’s Firefighters Burn Center, Samir Alniswan wears a black shirt emblazoned with the face of a lion. It’s an image that conjures up many meanings: Power. Strength. Courage. After suffering devastating burns, Samir needed all of those things to survive. He also needed the unique medical expertise and state-of-the-art technology that the compassionate Burn Center team have developed with support from the Regional One Health Foundation. “If I had gone to any other hospital, I don’t think I would have made it. They’ve got amazing doctors,” Samir said. “I tell people, ‘This is the hospital to go to: don’t give up, because they’ll save you.’ They did surgery after surgery to save my leg. They went above and beyond.” Burn specialist Ram Velamuri, MD and William Hickerson, MD, the center’s medical director, were among the first to treat Samir, who had injuries to his chest, abdomen, face, arms, and legs. “He had extremely deep burns to 60 percent of his body,” Dr. Velamuri said. “The burns to his legs, especially the left leg, extended all the way to the bone.” regionalonehealth.org/foundation/change-a-life-donate-today/ 29
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