Girl Who Suffered Serious Burn Injury At 8 Becomes A Doctor, Now Helping Thousands Of Burn Victims

Suffering a burn injury can be painful, both mentally and physically. Burns can damage skin and tissue and even leave victims disfigured for life.

This can have a devastating psychological impact on the victims throughout their lives, including anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), lack of confidence, and more.

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Burn injury that changed her life

This would have been the life story of Prema Dhanraj, but she chose to fight back and reclaim her destiny.

In 1965, a then 8-year-old Prema, a native of Bengaluru, suffered a severe burn injury after a stove burst on her face while playing in the kitchen.

The young girl had suffered nearly 50 per cent burns on her face, neck, and body.

After running from pillar to post for nearly a month, CS Dhanraj and Rosie Dhanraj took her to the Christian Medical College in Vellore, Tamil Nadu.

"My lip was touching my chest, and I couldn't speak or eat. That was my condition when I was taken to the operational theatre. I was taken to the operational theatre three times, but they couldn't intubate me because I had no neck at all," Dr. Prema recalled.

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Mother, Prema's pillar of support

While the doctors struggled to perform the surgery on Prema, her mother, Rosie, prayed to God.

"My mother was praying and vowed to God that if I get a second lease of life, she will make me a doctor at the same hospital and dedicate her life to the service of people. And the fourth time when I was taken to the operational theatre, the doctors were able to perform the surgery that went on for 12 hours. My mother was praying all this while, and after I opened my eyes, the first thing she said was - You have to become a doctor," she said.

How a doctor helped her

At the hospital, Prema also met her other guardian angel - Dr. LBM Joseph, who performed the complicated surgery and reconstructed every inch of her face.

"Dr LBM Joseph also played a great role both in the operational theatre and beyond. He was very gentle and very caring, and encouraged me to overcome all my pain and my medical problems," she said.

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Struggling to face society

Prema was mostly in and out of the hospital in the next three years, going under the knife more than two dozen more times. Still, she wasn't ready to return to school and face society.

"When my parents told me that I had to start going to school again, I was not ready for it. Then my gave me two options - stay home while your siblings go to school and achieve success in life, and you will be reduced to cooking for them, or go to school, come up in life, and succeed. This was an eye-opener for me," she said.

But it wasn't easy for young Prema to return to school as she was met with stares everywhere she went, and students were even scared to talk to her.

From burn victim to doctor

After completing school, Prema went to college, where she had better friends who stood up against anyone who tried to bully her.

"After a point, I became confident and was focused only on my studies. And it paid off, and I got an admission at the Hubballi Medical College. After I finished my MBBS, I met Dr LBM Joseph, and he was very surprised to learn that his patient has now become a doctor. I wanted to get into MS General Surgery. He was always there to encourage and guide me," she said.

AGNI RAKSHA

After her MD in Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery from CMC, Ludhiana, Dr. Prema returned to CMCH in 1989 as a surgeon and thus fulfilled her mother's promise.

What made it even sweeter was that Dr. Prema worked under Dr. Joseph himself and later became the Head of the Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery at the same hospital that saved her life.

Helping burn victims with award money

In 1999, Dr Prema and her sister Chitra established Agni Raksha, an NGO to provide medical treatment and holistic rehabilitation for burn victims from low-income families, especially women and children.

AGNI RAKSHA

"In 1998, I got an award from the US, which had a prize money of $10,000, which was a huge amount for me then. I didn't know what to do with it, and after discussing it with my sisters, I decided to start this NGO to help other burn victims, like how my mother helped me overcome my trauma. Because without her, I would not been where I am now," she said.

Installing confidence in burn victims

Since then, Agni Raksha has helped over 25,000 burn victims, including in their medical treatment and helping them rebuild their lives.

"We are trying to send them back to society near-normal, and it is not possible to be 'normal' after the skin is burned. At Agni Raksha, our focus is to give them both medical treatment and skill training. We had both in-patient and OPD for burn victims. All our nurses are also burn victims, and that makes them more sympathetic to the patients as they themselves have gone through the pain," she said.

AGNI RAKSHA

Based on their physical abilities and interests, the NGO also provides the burn victims with skill training so that they can rebuild their lives.

Patients get inspired by her

For many burn victims who come to the care of Agni Raksha, the biggest motivation is Dr. Prema herself.

"We also provide them counselling. But many have told me that seeing me and interacting with me have boosted their confidence. Many children have told me that they also want to become doctors like me, and I tell them that they can, and there is nothing in the world that can stop them," she said.

Creating awareness about prevention

Dr. Prema, who retired from active medical service in early 2020 due to COVID-19, is today still active in creating awareness about prevention.

"A lot of children suffer burn injuries due to carelessness. We have been attending schools, colleges and other groups to create awareness about burn prevention, first aid and management. We also provide training programmes for doctors on how to treat burn victims," she said.

AGNI RAKSHA

Improving medical practices

Regarded as one of the best reconstruction surgeons in India, Dr Prema has also influenced how the procedure is carried out and brought international practices to the country.

"Because I worked in the US for some time, I have brought in some of the reconstructing practices there to India as well. I have also taught the same to my students. Earlier doctors used to do reconstruction for the sake of reconstruction, but there is an aesthetics for reconstruction. I have authored several papers on the reconstruction of each body part and the aesthetic aspect of it. Another change I have been able to bring is how to reduce pain during the skin graft, which used to be there for days. I was able to reduce the pain and heal the wound the same day. I believe that it was the biggest gift that I could give to my patients as a plastic surgeon," she said.

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