‘It’s just been surgery after surgery’: Ridgecrest burn unit patient surprised with celebration

BAKERSFIELD, CA. (KGET)– Burn accidents can happen in an instant, and getting immediate treatment is pertinent to reducing lifelong effects.

Monday evening Dignity Memorial Hospital staff helped celebrate the discharge of Ridgecrest burn survivor Joseph Jimenez, 10, that was being treated at the Grossman Burn Unit at Memorial Hospital.

“He’s been such a trooper going through surgery after surgery after surgery,” Nurse Manager of Burn Services at Dignity Memorial Hospital, Ticyanna Clark said.

That accident was seemingly every parent’s worst nightmare.

“Him and his older brother had seen some videos on social media and had decided that they wanted to replicate that. So they had a spray bottle and a lighter and unfortunately the spray was sprayed towards Joseph and caught his shirt on fire,” Clark said.

Joseph sustained 25% burns with the second and third degree to his hands, face, and torso.

Though he has a long road to recovery, he’s doing well now– and Dignity Memorial staff wanted to celebrate him.

“Today we are here to celebrate one of our young burn survivors as they are exiting their treatment with the Burn Unit here at the Grossman Burn Unit at Memorial Hospital,” the Battalion Chief of the Bakersfield Fire Department, Chris Bowles, said.

Battalion Chief Bowles is also the president of the Bakersfield Fire Department Burn Foundation, where they help burn survivors like Joseph even after they leave the burn unit.

This celebration was a surprise to him as he gets ready to start his Fall Semester.

In February Compassion Corner hosted the annual Hook and Ladder BBQ where the proceeds went to the Bakersfield City Firefighter Burn Foundation and the Kern County Burn Survivor’s Trust.

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