Frequently Asked Questions

A: No. Bacteria are in the flowers and the water and are a potential source of infection. Fruit is another possible source of infection. Please avoid these gifts.

A: Balloon bouquets, banners, cards, posters, picture collages and stuffed animals are always popular choices.

A: No. Patients must receive their own skin (autograft) during surgery. Placing another person’s skin (allograft or homograft) on the patient is a temporary solution because the body will reject it.

A: Burn patients have compromised immune systems. If you have a temperature, you should never visit. If you have a cold, you may visit if you wear a mask and are especially vigilant about hand washing.

A: We have patients of all ages in the burn center. Toys for our pediatric patients must be disinfected after each use, so avoid cloth-like items. We also have DVD players, so movies are always in great demand. Other possibilities are books, crossword puzzles and music CDs, especially relaxation music.

A: It depends on whether you donate to a specific fund. Generally, donations are used to send children to burn camp or send survivors to support conferences such as those hosted by the Phoenix Society. Donations also provide items for patient use in the burn center, such as CDs, movies and toys; burn prevention information and programs for the community; and staff education. Learn more about donating to The University of Kansas Health System.

A: Any burn survivor under the age of 18 is eligible to go to camp. To receive information about camps available in our region, visit the Burns Recovered website.