Meet Aria
Aria was injured in an accident involving a firepit that left her with second- and third-degree burns all over her body. When the ambulance arrived, EMTs assessed her injuries and brought her to Nationwide Children’s Hospital’s Emergency Department. Upon arrival, Aria was evaluated and quickly transferred to the pediatric intensive care unit (PICU).
“At this point, I still didn’t understand the magnitude of what happened,” recalls Aria’s mom Alycia. “I thought doctors would put some ointment on, bandage her up and we would head back home. That was not the case, and I don’t think I realized that until a week into the hospital stay.”
Burns caused by flames take 48-72 hours to fully develop before care providers can get a full sense of the injury. Once an assessment could be made, Aria’s multidisciplinary team, including physicians, surgeons and therapists, concluded that she had burns on 38% of her body. She had burns on her legs, hands, chest and face, and would require skin grafts.
While in the PICU, Aria experienced many different medical issues. After 12 days of intubation, and several surgeries, Aria’s breathing tube was removed, and she was moved from the PICU to the Burn Center. There, Aria’s parents could assist in her care, changing her bandages and helping during her physical therapy.
“It was a learning process but the team at the Burn Center helped me and answered every question I asked,” recalls Alycia.
With help from the Child Life team, the pain management team and the Burn Center, Aria continued to heal and improve daily. The pain and discomfort from the healing burns and the internal itch from the nerve damage left Aria struggling at times. With the help of her care team, she was able to heal and recover.
During her stay in the Burn Center, Aria began to go longer between pain medications, became more alert, enjoyed doing arts and crafts, worked on schoolwork and learned how to walk again. Aria spent 33 days in the hospital and today, she is a healthy 9-year-old in the fourth grade. She plays club soccer, futsal and is a talented gymnast.
