UC Irvine burn center, foundation team up to aid victim of acid attack

UCI Health and Circle of Care Burn Foundation are working together to heal the victim of an acid attack who suffered third degree burns over 40 percent of her body. The patient is known as Jane Doe, and she was the victim of domestic violence in Mexico. Details about her identity and home are being withheld for her safety.

Dr. Victor Joe, director of UC Irvine Regional Burn Center, is overseeing her treatment, which includes multiple skin grafts and other surgeries to address complications of the major burns.

“Jane’s wounds cover her chest and much of her back but she seems pretty resilient,” Joe said. “We wanted her to regain her strength in the first week or so here before we started doing skin grafts.”

Treatment in the hospital will take approximately one month, and will be followed by regular outpatient visits and therapy lasting up to a year. Jane will stay with family members during outpatient care.

Medical expenses will be covered thanks to a special relationship between Circle of Care Burn Foundation and UC Irvine Medical Center. She is the first patient to benefit from an arrangement that both organizations hope will heal many others.

Jane Doe came to UC Irvine Medical Center on March 1, after having gained legal entry into the U.S. on a humanitarian visa that allows her to have access to care not available in Mexico.

“Jane had no access to proper medical care, no money and nowhere to turn, and the board of Circle of Care Burn Foundation stepped up to help an international burn survivor, one who was just across our border,” said Linda David, executive director of the Circle of Care Burn Foundation. “Jane is a brave woman who deserves the protection and quality of care we offer. Her recovery will be a testament to her heroism and the encouragement of those around her.”

The Circle of Care Burn Foundation also provides direct support to burn survivors from UC Irvine Regional Burn Center that includes in-home nursing, burn pressure garments, and physical and occupational therapy. In some cases, the foundation provided assistance to patients whose injury had caused financial hardship, and it helped underwrite the 2012 UC Irvine Burn Survivor Picnic attended by 250 burn survivors and their families.

For further information on Jane or to help support her healing journey, please visit www.circleofcareburnfoundation.org

UC Irvine Regional Burn Center is Orange County’s only American Burn Association and American College of Surgeons-verified burn center. It has been a national leader in providing burn care since 1967.

Circle of Care Burn Foundation is a local 501(C)3 non-profit based in Encino, Calif. The foundation was founded in 2005, and its mission is to improve the lives of burn survivors and their families. Programs address the physical, psychological and financial challenges that accompany a catastrophic burn injury and, importantly, COCBF provides assistance to survivors and their families throughout their entire healing journey.

UCI Health comprises the clinical, medical education and research enterprises of the University of California, Irvine. UC Irvine Medical Center in Orange, Calif. is a 411-bed acute care hospital providing tertiary and quaternary care, ambulatory and specialty medical clinics, behavioral health and rehabilitation. It is the primary teaching location for UC Irvine School of Medicine, which is ranked as one of the top 50 U.S. medical schools for research by U.S. News. The School of Medicine includes more than 730 faculty members, 700 residents and fellows, and graduates more than 100 medical students annually. UCI Health serves a region of more than 3 million people in Orange County, western Riverside County and southeast Los Angeles County.

About the University of California, Irvine: Founded in 1965, UC Irvine is a top-ranked university dedicated to research, scholarship and community service. Led by Chancellor Michael Drake since 2005, UC Irvine is among the most dynamic campuses in the University of California system, with nearly 28,000 undergraduate and graduate students, 1,100 faculty and 9,000 staff. Orange County’s second-largest employer, UC Irvine contributes an annual economic impact of $4 billion. For more UC Irvine news, visit news.uci.edu.