Burn Survivor Foregoes Fireworks on July 4

Returning home with a walker, Aguilar worked diligently to walk on her own. She was determined to begin her senior year of nursing school unassisted and on her own 2 feet. "Who wants to start their senior year of college with a walker? I didn't. I struggled to get rid of it before the first day of school."

Aguilar praises the staff at the Burnett Burn Center for the care she received as a patient and as a person. "I had excellent care," she says. "In fact, my experience as a burn patient is what led me to apply for a nursing position at the hospital."

Surgeons Michelle De Souza, MD, and Dhaval Bhavsar, MD, treated Aguilar's injuries. "They were terrific," she says. "Between my doctors and the nurses, I would, without a doubt, recommend the burn center to anyone."

Two years out from her injuries, Aguilar is still healing. She has significant scarring and will undergo future procedures, including microdermabrasion.

As for her plans this July 4^th, she won't take part in any festivities involving fireworks. She says people who enjoy fireworks should attend a professional fireworks show and not try to light any themselves.

"People aren't as careful as they should be, and serious injuries can happen easily," she says. "It takes just half a second and your whole world is changed."