Kids Helping Kids Heal is a subsidiary of Kids Helping Kids, Inc., a not-for-profit youth volunteer group dedicated to helping those in need through community building, youth empowerment, and intergenerational programs.   Since 1998, members of Kids Helping Kids have completed diverse projects each with the common goal of empowering other children in need.  Since 2003, these projects expanded their scope to include community building and senior citizens.  Not only do we want to help other children in need, but we also want to help strengthen our urban core by providing the framework for valuable, hands-on, intergenerational programs. 

As Kids Helping Kids Heal members, we establish our own projects, set our own goals, and work hard as a team until these goals are met.  We are expected to contribute in all phases of the individual project, including fundraising, boardroom presentations, proposal writing, and manual labor needed to achieve each goal.  We take pride in our community and want to help others.

Helping The Child Burn Survivor
Two years ago Caroline suffered 3rd degree burns from scalding hot water on 90% of her right leg.  Who knew that a simple game of hide and seek could end in such tragedy.  Luckily, after 6 weeks of hospitalization, 2 skin graft surgeries, a year and a half of wearing pressure garments and repeated visits to the Children’s Mercy Burn Clinic, Caroline is now a happy and healthy 10 year old with unlimited use of both legs.  For Caroline and friends Dara and Whitney, it is now time to give back and help ensure this happy ending for many more children.

Members of Kids Helping Kids Heal propose to ease the lives of child burn survivors through our three part project designed to help the burn patient’s uncertain re-entry into school: the education of the burn survivor’s parents, the education of the survivor’s school community and the continued, uninterrupted education of the injured child.

Education of the Child’s School Community to Prevent Ostracism
Child peer acceptance and understanding of her injury was vitally important for Caroline’s emotional and psychological healing process.  The power of knowledge helped reduce unintentional ostracism, a common reaction to a disfigurement.  To help counter peer ostracism, Kids Helping Kids Heal has made a video titled “Just Like You” designed to help children react appropriately towards the child burn survivor. This children’s video explains what happens when a child’s skin is burned, the process of healing the child needs to go through, their hospital stay, their recovery period and the peer support needed for a healthy recovery.  This is a powerful video that follows the stories of three child burn survivors, their experiences, fears and suggestions on how others can help prevent peer ostracism.

Essential Information for Parents or Caregivers
A second video for parents of burn survivors is currently in production.  Through the Kiwanis’ Burn Center in California several videos are available that teach children how to stay safe from fires and burns.  However, there is not a video available that explains what happens when someone is actually burned and the long rehabilitation it takes to heal the injury.  There is an overwhelming amount of emotion to deal with when your child endures the pain associated with severe burns – and the pain is excruciating!  This video will educate family members, helping to ensure optimum healing results of the patient.  When asked what the patients needed, Children’s Mercy Hospital explained that an educational video for the parents would be an invaluable tool for the physical healing process of the child. Once made, these videos will be made available to child burn survivors online and around the nation.

Mobile Classroom for Hospitalized Children
One hospital down, thousands to go!  With kind and caring help from DST Systems, Microsoft Corporation, and Hewlett-Packard, Kids Helping Kids Heal has set up a wireless classroom in the burn unit at Children’s Mercy Hospital in Kansas City, Missouri.  Now, equipped with five brand new wireless computers loaded with software, children in the burn unit don’t have to miss valuable school days while in residence during treatment.  Frequently like Caroline, patients can spend weeks, even months in hospitalization.  Continued communication between the patient, their school community and their peers is vital for a successful re-entry into school.  As an added benefit, school work can help distract from the twice a day extremely painful burn treatments each patient goes through in the hospital.    Kids can even play games, keep in touch with friends...AND log on to Kids Helping Kids Heal.com!