By Lisa Murray-Johnson, PhD, The Ohio State University Medical
Center and Ohio State University Nisonger Center “We are
grateful he’s alive.” Pat’s voice was strong, but you could
still hear the heartache as she described the horrific fire that
injured her son John and claimed the life of his roommate and a
caregiver. “He was burned over 18 percent of his body and Fred
and I knew it would be a long recovery.” As a young adult with
autism and other developmental disabilities, John recovered at
The Ohio State University Medical Center’s Burn Unit. I thought
I was just having lunch with my colleagues Pat Cloppert and
Becky Coffey. I didn’t realize how prevalent burn injuries were
among young adults, nor was I aware that Becky had cared for
John. Becky Coffey, RN, CNP, is a nurse practitioner in the
OSUMC Burn Unit. She said 68 percent of all burn and hot water
scalds happen at home. These were the statistics from the
National Burn Registry from 2001-2010, a database that records
burns from such events as fires,