Young victims of Mexico fire find relief in Calif.

[June 10, 2009]  SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) -- Among the latest patients airlifted to a hospital in northern California are four little children who face weeks, if not months, of care.

They are some of the most seriously burned victims from a deadly day care fire in northern Mexico that so far has claimed the lives of 44 babies and toddlers.

The high-profile nature of those cases has placed an international spotlight on the Shriners Hospitals for Children-Northern California in Sacramento.

The 12-year-old hospital serves as the regional center for critically burned children throughout the western United States, Mexico and Canada. Families say its extensive level of care provides reassurance at a difficult time.

"I felt I was meeting some angels who are going to take care of our children," said Olivia Fontes Diaz, the mother of a 2-year-old who is among the victims of Friday's fire and whose burns cover 20 percent of his body.

The Sacramento hospital opened in 1997 and specializes in burns, orthopedic surgery, spinal cord injuries and some plastic surgery, treating about 3,000 new patients a year. Many children receive recurring treatments, totaling 20,000 patient visits a year.

About a third of those are burn cases, one in five from Mexico. Spokeswoman Catherine Curran said the 80-bed hospital is the busiest pediatric burn center in California. Other Shriners burn centers are in Cincinnati and Boston.

A Galveston, Texas, burn center that previously handled most patients from Mexico was forced to close after Hurricane Ike in 2008 and has not reopened.

Shriners doctors routinely help colleagues across the southern border diagnose and treat burn victims. Twice a year, they conduct training sessions in Hermosillo, site of last week's deadly blaze.

The relationships between the medical staff and the patients typically last until adulthood as the victims return for new treatments.

"It's a great interaction. We enjoy working with people in Mexico," said Dr. David Greenhalgh, the hospital's chief of burns. "It's very rewarding to see these children grow up and become productive citizens."

Children's bodies quickly outgrow the scar tissue that forms after surgery, requiring new surgeries as well as occupational and physical therapy, he said.

Teams of respiratory and physical therapists, nutritionists and psychiatrists deal with the emotions associated with burn injuries. A school provides classroom instruction for children who stay several months.

Rosa Uvasquez, of Mexicali, Mexico, said she believes all three of her young children might have died if they had not quickly been brought to the Sacramento hospital after they were severely burned in a house fire 1 1/2 years ago. Her oldest son is still receiving treatment.

Ralph Semb, chief executive officer of Shriners Hospitals for Children, which operates 22 centers in North America, said his hospitals do not charge for care.

"We're proud of the fact that we're one of the very few, still, who will not take any federal funding or insurance," said Semb.

The 137-year-old fraternal organization -- perhaps best known for members' fez hats -- has been hurt by the recession. Members will vote in July on whether to close six hospitals, including the one in Galveston.

Because the initial hours of treatment are crucial for a burn victim, Shriners doctors are available around the clock for consultation with medical professionals throughout North America. The doctors help triage patients remotely, often using video hookups so they can see the extent of the burns.

In last week's fire in Hermosillo, doctors in Mexico took pictures of burn victims and consulted by telephone with physicians in California. Those with the most serious injuries and who were likely to survive the flight were considered for transport.

Three 3-year-olds and a 2-year-old were sent to Sacramento and hospital officials said they were expecting more.

The Mexico City-based Michou y Mau charitable foundation works closely with Shriners hospitals to arrange travel for the critically injured children, who require specialized care during flight and usually are escorted by a doctor. The cost of transfer to Sacramento is about $30,000 to $35,000 from most parts of Mexico.

"They've done a wonderful job. We're nearly to 1,000 children that we've sent, that if they would have stayed in Mexico they would've died," she said.

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On the Net:

http://www.shrinershq.org/Hospitals/Main/

[Associated Press; By JULIET WILLIAMS]

Associated Press writers Juliana Barbassa and Don Thompson contributed to this story.

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