Melissa’s Story
At first I didn't feel a thing. But then the pain started, and I knew something was wrong.
What happened?
I was about to start high school and decided to wax my legs at home, so I’d look good for my first day of school. I placed the pot of wax in the microwave without reading the instructions and heated it for two minutes (it should have only been 30 seconds). When I went to move the pot, I tripped and split wax over a large area of my legs.
At first, I didn’t feel anything but then the pain started, and I knew something was wrong. I screamed for my brothers to help me. They put me into a cold bath then shower but when Mum came home and saw what had happened, she took me to Swan Districts Hospital.
My treatment and recovery journey
I was given morphine to help with the pain and transferred to the Burns Unit at Princess Margaret Hospital. I was in there for 14 days.
Dr Wood performed a spray-on-skin procedure using skin cells taken from the side of my buttocks, which made it difficult for me to walk.
The rehabilitation team at PMH taught me how to walk again and how to regain the muscle I’d lost in my left leg.
After leaving the hospital life wasn’t easy. I had to go into the hospital every couple of days to have bandages changed, then I was given compression stockings to protect my legs and to help reduce scarring. I wore them for one and a half years.
My life now
Now that I am older my treatment is through the team at Fiona Stanley Hospital. I’ve had more surgeries. One was a CO2 laser to my legs which helped to reduce the redness of my scars and smooth it. Both these procedures are due to the research done by Fiona Wood and the Foundation.
Going through a traumatic ordeal at a young age was frightening, but because of the amazing support and research used by the burn team at PMH and Fiona Stanley, I managed to finish Year 12.
I’m thinking about pursuing a career in medicine so I can help others like Fiona helped me.
Melissa