Katherine

Katherine is only 11 months old. As we walked into her room, she carefully watched each one of us arrive. Her attentive eyes and still nature captured all of us immediately. Referred to at the burn unit as the "miracle baby," Katherine was resurrected by doctors after suffering burns covering over 35% of her body. Katherine is from the town of Dario, which is named after Nicaragua's famous poet Ruben Dario. One day the lantern that provided light for her family exploded, engulfing their home in flames. Sadly, her mother died after the fire. Now her father sits by her bedside everyday, making sure to keep her company through her treatment. Later in the day Dr. Chandini Perera, Interplast's Surgical Outreach Director in Sri Lanka, helped the local staff change Katherine's dressings to keep them free from infection. I look forward to visiting Katherine again tomorrow, and watching her eyes widen as her doctors walk in announcing their presence with an enthusiastic "Buenos Dias, Katherine!"