North Carolina Girl Helps Young Burn Survivors Find Hope

When Elena Castro Rivera's foot caught in a bike wheel at age 6, the friction burn was so severe doctors could see bone.

The 2020 accident in Johnston County left Elena facing months of recovery at UNC's North Carolina Jaycee Burn Center. She had to learn to walk again. The physical pain was intense, but Elena worried most about something else: being different.

"Maybe I will be different than everybody. I would be made fun of," Elena remembers thinking. Her mother, Alma Rivera Donato, said the family went into "survival mode" as Elena underwent multiple surgeries to repair the deep wound.

Dr. Felecia Williams, who treated Elena at the burn center, explained that friction burns pose high infection risks and can be especially traumatic for children. But Elena's recovery took an unexpected turn when she discovered Camp Celebrate, the nation's oldest camp for pediatric burn survivors.

At camp, Elena found something she didn't expect: freedom. For the first time since her injury, she didn't have to worry about stares or questions about her scars. She was surrounded by kids who understood exactly what she'd been through.

Sunny's Take

Camp Celebrate gives young burn survivors permission to just be kids again. No explanations needed, no awkward questions, just swimming, laughing, and making memories with people who get it.

Williams sees how transformative the experience is for her patients. "They can celebrate being a survivor with other children and not be afraid of the scars," she said. The camp proves that visible scars don't have to mean invisible limitations.

Today, Elena returns to Camp Celebrate every summer. Her older sister now works there as a counselor, inspired by watching Elena's journey. Alma says the experience taught both daughters empathy and understanding they wouldn't have learned anywhere else.

Elena, now a confident preteen, speaks openly about her accident to help other children facing similar challenges. She's learned that the worst day of her childhood led her to a community that would change her life.

"You have fun and make memories," Elena said. "When you grow up you look back at how many memories you made here and how much fun you had and this cured you."