Burn Victim Needs Prayers

[AOII*Azra-elle]

Hey y'all. Amanda is my best friend from high school and has been getting better since this article was written on her back in December. I do go see her everyday during my free time and spend about a half hour with her. She's sick right now, but she's starting to walk and she misses her son terribly!


Burn Victim's Family Needs Help
By Wyoma Groenenberg

On the evening before Thanksgiving, Amanda Annis was preparing for her husband Marty's large family holiday gethering the next day on their ranch 60 miles west of Casper.

But in an instant, the 22 year-old wife and mother's life, as well as her family's, was changed.

Amanda was trying to get the fire going better in the trash barrel and threw gasoline on it. The fire flared up and Amanda's clothes caught on fire. In panic and surprise, she also inhaled some of the ignited fumes, which burned her lungs and throat, according to her mother-in-law, Donna Annis.

Fifty-eight percent of her body was wounded by third-degree burns, and another 10 percent with first- and second-degree burns.

On her way toward their cabin home, she dropped and rolled to get the flames out before she entered. Home alone with the couple's then 6-month old son, Mark, Amanda was more concerned about him.

Only able to use a cell phone because of the distance from regular phone lines, Amanda called 911, but couldn't get through. She then called her husband, who had gone to Casper to do an errand for his uncle's funeral on Friday.

Marty immediately called 911. He was filling his truck with gas when the fire truck passed by, so he followed it, arriving at the ranch about 45 minutes later, Donna explained.

During the time that Amanda had to wait, she put the dogs into a different room because she knew they wouldn't allow paramedics to treat her. She also stoked the wood stove fire to keep Mark warm. Then she nursed him and waited.

Later, paramedics would tell her husband that Amanda's "strong, motherly instict" and keeping busy before emergency crews arrived was what kept her from going into deeper shock and possibly from dying, Donna said.

When the paramedics entered the home, Marty recalls them saying, "Oh my god," which told him how serious the situation was.

Amanda was taken by Life Flight to Wyoming Medical Center, where she was stabilized before being flown to the Burn Unit at Northern Colorado Medical Center in Greeley, Colorado where she remains indefinitely.

Her chance of survival then and now is only 20 percent, and she recently suffered a setback.

Amanda has had some skin grafts done, but recently while changing the bandages, the Burn Unit staffers found yeast infections and mold, so the grafts had to be removed and they were back at square one--with Amanda having no skin where the burns are located.

Having rejected the use of artificial skin for grafts, skin has been harvested from Amanda's upper back, as well as from corpses.

Her mother in law says they have Amanda on a good combination of pain killers, saying she only complains of pain during dressing changes and physical therapy.

Yet throughout the whole ordeal, Amanda has remained determined.

"Amanda is making progress and is in good spirits and has a positive outlook," Marty said. "She enjoys getting cards and letters from everyone."

She has received cards from all over the United States and as far away as Scotland, Donna said, noting that church groups around the world have been praying for Amanda's full recovery.

During the week, Marty continues to take care of his ranch and son, getting help from his sisters Bonnie and Chrissi. He goes to see Amanda every weekend, and while he's gone, his parents, Ben and Donna, and Amanda's step father, Ron Yates, take care of the ranch.

For the two weeks around the holidays, Amanda's mom, Pat Yates, stayed with her daughter in Greeley.

"Amanda misses Mark terribly," Donna said, "But she doesn't want to see him until the feeding tube is out of her nose. SHe is so afraid he'll forget about her."

And with the latest setback, the youngster won't be able to see his mom because of the possibility of spreading infections.

The family shows Mark pictures of his mother and talks to him about her constantly. But with him only being 7 months old, they can only hope it helps.

"We videotaped Christmas, with him opening presents and playing and giggling with Daddy," Donna said. "Amanda loves to watch it and is glad we did it for her, but it upsets her and makes her cry."

The Burn Unit bill, excluding skin grafts and lab work, runs around $21,000 daily, Donna said. The final total was estimated at over $2 million before the recent setback. Now they don't know how much it will be.

And the family has no insurance.

The family would appreciate donations to the Amanda Annis Burn Fund, 300 Country Club Road, Casper Wyoming 82602, Attn: Terry Bennett, New Accounts. For more information about the fund, call Chrissi at 307-436-2973 or Bonnie at 307-473-2983.

"It is great to see the community pull together and help someone in a crisis and time of need like this," Marty said.

Cards and letters, which help "get Amanda's spirits up," can be sent to her at Northern Colorado Medical Center Burn Unit, Room 344, 1801 16th St., Greeley Colorado 80631

[kat1010]

I will keep Amanda and her family in my prayers.

[AOII*Azra-elle]

Thank you very much!

[AOIIalum]

Susan, my thoughts are with Amanda and her family and friends.