Sometimes, life changes in an instant.
A candle and a floaty dress. A case of mistaken identity. A chip pan in flames. A plane crash in which you’re the only survivor. A chemical spill at work. A dune buggy incident. A fire in your motorhome.
All of these are the moments that started a person’s journey to Survivor of Burns. It’s long, it’s hard, it’s painful. It’s physical. It’s psychological.
For Katie Piper, it was an acid attack that left her fighting for survival, blinded and scarred for life.
After Katie's emergency care, she went to France to have rehabilitation as there was no such service in the UK. Katie was determined that other survivors of burns could get the same transformational care in the UK, without needing to go abroad. Her fight for her life became a fight for better care for others. One that we’re winning.
What do we do?
In the last ten years, we have grown to deliver a range of services for survivors of burns and traumatic scars, including:
Rehabilitation Services
Last year we formally opened the UK's only residential, holistic Rehabilitation Centre based at Fairfield Independent Hospital, in the grounds of Rainford Hall, for people with burns and traumatic scars. Our team of specialist scar physiotherapists, personal trainers, psychotherapists, and our consultant burns and plastic surgeon, make significant, lasting improvements to the lives of those with severe scars.
This year we have launched the UK’s only remote Rehabilitation Service. Survivors of burns are able to access our specialist team via video calls, telephone and personalized videos from the comfort of their own home.
Restoration Services
For so many survivors of burns, looking in the mirror reminds them of how much their life has changed. They don’t recognise themselves as the person they once were, and they see the injuries that have caused so much distress – to them, and to their loved ones.
We provide bespoke hair replacement systems, created using ethically sourced real hair; hair transplant surgery; and medical tattooing. These not only improve the appearance, and reduce the visibility, of scars, they improve individuals’ self-esteem, confidence and quality of life.
Peer Support
Often the first time our beneficiaries meet someone with similar injuries is when they come to us. The power of meeting someone who immediately understands what you’ve been through and what you still must go through is incredible.
Everyone who stays at our Rehabilitation Centre is matched with a Peer Support Volunteer who has lived experience of burns. This volunteer helps them understand their future as a survivor, accept their injuries, and reinstate hope.
Survivor Support Line
Our Support Line means that survivors can reach us when they need us most, stopping them from reaching crisis point. As burns are a life-long condition, it’s important that we’re here for survivors throughout their lives. Survivors who call our Support Line can then get more practical help, including life-changing advice from our Specialist Burns Physiotherapist or counselling from one of our highly skilled therapists.
THE DIFFERENCE you could make
The Katie Piper Foundation works with the NHS to give world class care, but we don’t receive any funding from the Government. We rely entirely on the generosity of supporters like you.
Your support can unlock their strength, dedication, courage, patience, hope. Your support can help someone move from surviving to thriving
£26 could pay for a volunteer’s travel and phone calls for 3 months to provide support – from one survivor to another.
£52 could pay for 10 calls to our Survivor Support Line to be answered, meaning people can reach us when they need us the most.