Aluminum Cans for Burned Children
Aluminum
Cans for Burned Children (ACBC)
Services to help prevent children from being burned and to help
burned children recover are funded through aluminum can recycling
proceeds and through contributions from generous groups of individuals.
ACBC is coordinated by the Foundation. ACBC drop-off sites are
located in Allegheny, Armstrong, Washington and Westmoreland Counties.
For more information contact the Foundation at 412-578-5153.
ACBC sends children with burns to camp
Since 1987, ACBC has funded an annual five-day
Summer Camp for children who have been patients at West
Penn's Burn Center. Summer
Camp for Burned Children provides campers with the opportunity
to interact with other young people who have had the experience
of being burned and who know the resulting physical and emotional
trauma.
ACBC helps children with burns return
to school
Returning to school can be difficult for
a child who has been burned. The physical and emotional scars
from burns create insecurities about one’s self-image and
acceptance by others, especially one’s peers. Teachers and
classmates may not understand what the child has been through,
why his or her appearance is altered, or why he or she needs to
wear pressure garments. The result can be fear, overprotection,
teasing or avoidance. In the Back-To-School Program, age-appropriate
materials and activities are used to share the child’s story,
explore feelings and concerns and build support for the child
among his or her peers.
ACBC helps children with burns get well
Physical therapy is often needed after a
burn injury — but it can be painful, and children with burns
sometimes have trouble doing prescribed exercises. ACBC helps
by providing every child with an appropriate toy to use as an
exercise aid. A shiny new tricycle can make leg exercises fun,
or a hand-held video game can provide distraction during painful
hand exercises. Through play, therapy goals can be met.
ACBC helps fund outreach programs
to keep children from being burned
Almost half the children admitted to burn units have been
injured by scalds, often in common household accidents. The Burn
Center uses community outreach techniques to help educate
parents and other caregivers about the danger of scald injuries
and how to prevent them.
The Burn Center has enlisted a new friend to help educate children about fire safety and burn prevention. The Hospital has purchased Burnie the Burn Safety Dog, a Saint Bernard robot and his remote-controlled fire truck to help deliver a fun, effective message to children and adults alike. The Burn Center staff created a Burnie the Burn Safety Dog coloring book that features ways to stay safe from fires. Donations from area fire companies and funds from the Aluminum Cans for Burned Children recycling program were used to print coloring books and buy Burnie .
