Support for burn-injured Anna from the Philippines during her treatment stay in Munich

Shortly after her 8th birthday, Anna had a fatal accident: a traditional Filipino candle, while being refilled, ignited her hair, then her birthday dress. The nylon fabric immediately burst into flames, the dress couldn't be removed quickly, and it took a long time, far too long, for her mother to extinguish the burning child. Anna's burns to her upper body, arms, and head were correspondingly devastating.

She had to be driven many hours from her village to the nearest hospital, which was at least somewhat equipped for such treatment. Anna suffered there as an inpatient for two months, and when her family could no longer afford the treatment, she was sent home. Although she was occasionally able to receive outpatient assessments in her home village, she has not received any inpatient treatment since then, let alone surgery to alleviate her impairments. Her mother treated the burns with herbs over the years, as the humble family could not afford medication, and repeatedly applied unsuccessfully to the government for support for plastic surgery. Anna is now 27.

Her severe burns resulted in disfigurement and contractures. Since her accident, Anna has been unable to move or even stretch one arm properly (making her dream job as a nurse impossible). Her scarred chest was disfiguring and caused difficulty breathing. The obvious scars on her face led to ostracism and severe psychological problems.

The team at the Center for Severely Burned Children at the Schwabinger Klinikum (Dr. Carsten Krohn) and the Center for Severely Burned Children at the Bogenhausen Clinic (Prof. Dr. Milomir Ninkovic) operated on and treated Anna in cooperation with the VFBB (Association for the Promotion of the Treatment of Burn Injury) in Munich, and gave her all the plastic corrections, skin transplants and functional improvements that can be achieved according to the current state of burn medicine.

The Florian Lex Foundation supported Anna's travel, stay, and treatment with financial and material resources. Anna stayed with us privately for the first four months and was equipped by us for the cold Central Europe. Thanks to the grateful support of the Meyn physiotherapy practice, she was able to receive important physiotherapy after the operations. This helped, among other things, to normalize the previously restricted flexion angle of her left arm. With the help of the foundation's funds and personal attention, we did everything in our power to stabilize Anna physically and mentally and to pave her way back to a normal life. After her treatment, Anna worked as an au pair in Munich for a year and is currently doing a year of voluntary social work with Caritas. Her goal is to start an education in nursing, beginning from Sept 2025.