International

Women’s and Children’s

Burn Foundation

THE MISSION of the International Women’s and Children’s

Burn Foundation (IWCBF) a 501 C-3 organization, is to help

establish comprehensive burn rehabilitation centers and to

educate the local medical professionals in developing countries to

help improve the physical and psychological conditions and

outcomes following burn injuries.

The foundation has made 70 volunteer medical mission trips

to 26 countries since 1994.

To date we have established 7 international burn clinics in 7

countries, and helped open 3 pediatric hospitals. The IWCBF is

sensitive to and respects all cultures, religions, and is non-

political. This philosophy deeply influences the manner in which

we conduct ourselves as ambassadors.

THE VISION of the IWCBF sees a world in which no human

being suffers physically or emotionally from a preventable or

repairable burn deformity or injury. To achieve that vision, IWCBF

partners with volunteers, other organizations, and oversees

medical colleagues to educate and empower local communities so

that medical care is available high quality clinical outcomes to

achieve.

The burn care program was conceived by Dr. Charles Horton,

founder of Physicians for Peace, following a visit to Nicaragua in

1992.

1994 Dr. Horton, founder of Physicians For Peace, invited Dr.

Wilcox Ruffin and Richard Sieller, PT, CHT, to investigate the burn

epidemic. The team traveled to Managua and Leon, Nicaragua.

This first mission was to advance medical expertise in the

management of burn care and to upgrade patient care. The

fabrication and use of elastic pressure garments was carried out

in a very primitive space in the public hospital Fernando Velez

Paiz. Later, this was moved to a burn unit, furnished and staffed

by Association Pro-Nino’s Quemados de Nicaragua (Aproquen), a

volunteer organization headed by Sra. Vivian Pellas, a burn

survivor, who has dedicated her life and resources to the care of

burn victims—especially children. With partners like Sra. Pellas,

IWCBF has been able to help establish and support burn clinics in

Central America, the Caribbean, the Middle East, and Asia.

2000 A team consisting of Dr. David Young (retired

orthopedic surgeon), Richard Sieller, PT, CHT, and Ronald

Hopkins, CP (prosthetist) launches a Walking Free prosthetic

program in Diyarbakir, Turkey through Physicians For Peace for

land mine victims partnering with Dr. Namak Baran (Professor and

Chief of the Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery at

Yeditepe University of Istanbul, Turkey.)

2001 The grand opening of the Prosthesis Center at Dicle

University in Diyarbakir, Turkey was celebrated. This unit is

staffed by Turkish medical professionals. The center provides

amputee treatment and rehabilitation for Southeastern Turkey.

Physicians for Peace received the largest award in its history from

the Ronald McDonald House Charities to create the children’s

department of a sustainable prosthetic center.

2002 IWCBF founder and president, Rick Sieller, PT, CHT,

establishes first international comprehensive burn rehabilitation

center, partnering with Aproquen and Physicians for Peace. No

“like” clinic even exists in the US.

2003 IWCBF establishes second comprehensive burn

rehabilitation clinic in Santa Domingo, Dominican Republic

partnering with Dr. Carlos De Los Santos and Pearl Ort burn unit.

Additional plans were discussed to open a second clinic in

Santiago, Dominican Republic with a local organization, “Jesus for

the Children” at the Thelma Rosario Pediatric Burn Hospital which

opened this year.

Bachelor of Science degree program was started in

partnership with the Dominican Rehabilitation Association (DRA)

and Physicians for Peace.

2004 IWCBF establishes third comprehensive burn

rehabilitation program in Guatemala City, Guatemala partnering

with Dra. Lourdes Santiso, chief of pediatric plastic surgery at

Nino Sano and Hospital Roosevelt. Patronato—organization of

medical/businessmen in Guatemala. A local physician

organization (Patronato) supported the center through

administrative oversight and financial assistance.

2005 IWCBF establishes fourth comprehensive burn

rehabilitation program(s) in Ramallah and Nablus, Palestine

through partnerships with Dr. Eid Mustapha, plastic surgeon from

Texas.

Aproquen opens new hospital Metropolitano Vivian Pellas to

provide comprehensive pediatric burn treatment.

2006 The Central American and Caribbean Association for

the Prevention and Treatment of Children with Burns (the “Burn

Consortium”) is launched. The consortium is an eight country

alliance of the following: Costa Rico, Dominican Republic, Santo

Domingo, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Panama,

and the United States.

2008 IWCBF establishes fifth comprehensive burn

rehabilitation clinic in Panama City, Panama in the pediatric

hospital.

2009 IWCBF President Sieller lectured in Managua,

Nicaragua before the International Burn Conference. Established

IWCBF database which is utilized in Sri Lanka and Nicaragua.

Pediatric Burn Hospital opens in San Salvador, El Salvador

through a public-private partnership.

2014 Bolivia fact finding Mission Trip.

2010 IWCBF establishes sixth comprehensive burn

rehabilitation center in Tegucigalpa, Honduras with Mr. Ramon

Sanchez and partner organization Crisaq.

2011 IWCBF establishes seventh comprehensive

rehabilitation center in Colombo, Sri Lanka at the National

Hospital with partner, Dra. Chandini Perera and U.S. partner

Resurge.

2012 Ten year anniversary celebration of Nicaragua burn

rehabilitation center.

2013 IWCBF President Sieller lectured at the International

Society of Burn Injuries (ISBI), Edinburgh, Scotland. IWCBF

became member of ISBI rehabilitation committee and the ISBI

database committee.

2014 Guatemala celebrates ten years of comprehensive

rehabilitation center with one year anniversary of a dedicated

burn rehabilitation center which was created through public-

private and government partnerships.