In October 2022, Sharon was celebrating Halloween around a campfire at her home near Newcastle with family and friends. She was looking forward to a well-earned holiday and starting a new job. In her words, life couldn’t have been more perfect.
But in a single moment, everything changed.
Sharon was watching the flames dance when the fire suddenly exploded.
“I don’t remember much of what happened, but it was frantic,” Sharon recalls.
Her husband and friends desperately tried to extinguish the fire and remove her burning clothes, but it was too late. Sharon had suffered critical injuries.
Emergency burn care at Royal North Shore Hospital
Emergency services placed Sharon in an induced coma and airlifted her to Royal North Shore Hospital (RNSH), the state’s specialist referral centre for severe burn injuries.
When she woke up in the intensive care unit a week later, Sharon learned she had burns to 54% of her body. This life-threatening injury needed intensive, specialised care from a team of experts in wound care, infection prevention and rehabilitation.
“It was very painful, and my wounds were horrible,” said Sharon. “There were burns to my face, neck, chest, armpits, arms and legs.”
Over the following months, Sharon had almost 30 surgeries. These included wound dressings, removing dead tissue, skin grafts and procedures to release tight tissue.
For months she had to lie on her back with her arms stretched out, unable to move freely. Nurses gently repositioned her, and as a small treat, sometimes gave her a pillow for half an hour.
Recovering from a severe burn injury
Every few days, two nurses changed Sharon’s dressings. Each could take up to four hours. Sharon found every experience overwhelming. She was unsure how her skin was healing underneath the compression bandages, and whether she needed further surgery.
“I put myself into the hands of the healthcare teams and let them do what they needed to do,” she said.
With her family in Newcastle, the nurses became her surrogate family. They watched cricket with her (even if they didn’t like it) and filled her room with joy, ensuring she didn’t feel alone.
When Christmas approached, the nurses even decorated Sharon’s room with colourful ornaments and hung baubles from the ceiling. Physiotherapists also set up arts and crafts so Sharon and her daughters could make a paper Christmas tree together when they made their weekly visit.
“The nursing staff were such beautiful people who really cared,” said Sharon. “They treated me like a person, not just a patient.”
Every day, every week, every holiday, staff across RNSH bring comfort and care to patients like Sharon. They do everything they can to get patients home for the holidays, and when that’s not possible, they bring the joyful spirit to the bedside instead.
Over time, and through huge physical challenges, Sharon regained movement in her hands and started walking again. Her team focused on helping her become independent again so she could go home to her family, her backyard and her life, where she belonged.
After five long months, Sharon’s wish came true. Leaving hospital was bittersweet, and staff made sure she had the beautiful send-off she deserved. They shared a big morning tea on the veranda and formed a guard of honour in the hallway.
The generous gift helping Sharon today
Sharon kept recovering after she went home, slowly rebuilding her life.
Almost four years and many hurdles later, Sharon is back at work and cherishes every moment with her family. Together, they spend weekends on the lake fishing, tubing and knee boarding.
Sharon is forever grateful for the outstanding care she received at RNSH. She’s also grateful to a generous NORTH Foundation bequestor, whose gift recently funded a cutting-edge laser for burns patients.
The UltraPulse laser is a powerful tool that greatly improves scar treatment, skin function and quality of life for burns patients. Sharon calls it a huge and amazing milestone for survivors.
“The aftercare for burns patients can be a lonely road. This new laser machine will do amazing things and it means a lot to know somebody is wanting to help us,” says Sharon.
Sharon is now sharing her story in the NORTH Foundation’s Christmas Appeal to help other patients access the same outstanding care.
No one plans for a life-changing accident. But when one happens, the best possible healthcare needs to be there.
Your gift will fund advanced equipment, world-first research and facilities that give people like Sharon extraordinary care.
