The Journey Ahead
Written by Amy Acton, RN, BSN on May 13, 2022
Dear friends,
Welcome to the first edition of Journey Magazine! The magazine has a new name and an updated design, but the heart of the publication remains the same: telling stories, sharing our personal journeys, and realizing the power of our community.
My own journey began at 18 years old, when an accident at my summer job left me with burns over 35% of my body. During the initial injury, I had an incredible burn team taking care of me 24/7. Focused on whether I’d survive, my family and I didn’t give much thought to what came next.
When I did go home from the hospital, I couldn’t always see a path to regaining the freedom and adventurous spirit I’d lost. I had no stamina and throughout my ongoing healing, I struggled because I felt alone in the experience.
I’m not the only burn survivor to struggle during this phase of the journey. We’ve heard time and time again that going home from the hospital is something we look forward to, yet it’s one of the greatest challenges for burn survivors and their families—and we want to fix that.
Over the past year, Phoenix Society has spent substantial time getting a deeper understanding of the survivor journey—and this unique and broad understanding of the journey allows us to focus our work on areas with the most significant impact.
To ease the transition and to introduce survivors to our community sooner, we are launching a Journey Forward pilot program in May 2022. The program’s centerpiece is the Journey Forward kit, which provides tangible connections to resources and community through technology, burn aftercare products, and more. We are excited to work with six hospital partners on the pilot program before launching on a larger, nationwide scale over the next few years.
As we continue to emerge from the pandemic and push our work forward, we will also spend time deepening our relationships with survivors, hospitals, partners, and more to scale our impact, grow our community, and increase access to networks of resources and support in every phase of your journey. Throughout the magazine, you’ll learn more about where Phoenix Society is headed and new programs on the horizon. You’ll also find survivor stories and resources to support ongoing healing after leaving the hospital.
Recovering from a burn injury is a lifelong journey, and Phoenix Society and the burn community will be there every step of the way.
With gratitude,
Amy Acton, RN, BSN
Sign up for your free subscription of Journey Magazine!
This article was originally published in Journey Magazine - Each issue of the magazine is packed with survivor stories, resource articles, and updates about the organization.