|
|
|
|
| Strength Forged from Fire and Faith | Face the Fire, the ministry started by severely burned 9/11 Pentagon survivor Lt. Col. (Ret.) Brian Birdwell and wife Mel, gives hope and encouragement to burn survivors and their families.
Lt. Col. (Ret.) Brian Birdwell was standing about 20 yards away from the spot where American Airlines Flight 77 was deliberately crashed through the outer wall of the Pentagon on September 11, 2001. Though horribly burned, Brian survived; but the weeks and months that followed were filled with excruciating pain, more than 30 operations and endless therapy sessions. Brian and Mel Birdwell lived with the fear and overwhelming stress and sadness burn patient families must endure. Yet, amid the agony and heart-wrenching circumstances surrounding them, the Birdwells discovered life-sustaining hope and meaning in events that were out of their control. They learned about the ultimate miracle of grace.
"It was this discovery and the knowledge that God wanted them to use their experience to help others that led them to start Face the Fire Ministries. Through their work with Face the Fire, the Birdwells visit burn units and military hospitals across the country, offering comfort to others who are dealing with burns and severe injuries from combat.
It is such a blessing to go in and visit these units," says Mel Birdwell. "Survivors and their families have exactly the same questions we had, and we know what a difference it can make to hear the truth from someone who has experienced what they are going through. They have questions about wound care, skin condition, sweating and other things associated with those who have sustained severe burns. But they also want to know the answers to tougher questions like, "Will we ever have a normal life again?" We know what it is like to desperately need someone to talk to who has been through what you are going through. It can be such a lifeline."
Brian and Mel Birdwell have visited the Tim Harner Burn Center in Lubbock, Texas; the Jaycee Burn Unit at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill; the Orange County Burn Center in Orlando; the Strong Burn Center in Rochester, New York; Brooke Army Medical Center in San Antonio, Texas, and others. During the visits, the Birdwells present survivors and their families with a quilt and a coin the Birdwells designed and had minted. They also visit with the staff members at each unit.
"These people have one of the toughest jobs in medicine," Mel Birdwell says. "We want them all to know how much we appreciate what they do. They are the most dedicated professionals you will find anywhere."
All donations and proceeds the Birdwells' receive from their book, Refined by Fire, and from speaking engagements go directly to the ministry. Face the Fire Ministries has helped to fund Fisher Houses - facilities similar to Ronald McDonald Houses - on military installations. These facilities house families who are caring for injured soldiers. Face the Fire provides financial assistance to help defray the cost of being displaced from home.
"There aren't burn units in every hospital, and sometimes it is necessary for families to be hundreds of miles away from home, with no income to support their needs," Mel says. "Face the Fire helps take care of them while they are caring for their loved one."
The ministry has provided support for many burn survivors, including a Washington, D.C. firefighter severely burned on the job; two children, ages four and five, burned in an explosion; and a 12-year-old boy, burned on more than 80 percent of his body, who was dragged from the basement of his home by his 9-year-old brother to the fire-extinguishing snow outside. The ministry has also assisted several wounded at Brooke Army Medical Center.
Face the Fire Ministries already has helped to make life easier for many burn survivors, wounded servicemen and women and their families. Brian and Mel Birdwell continue to provide comfort and support, both mental and financial, "as Christ has comforted us." |
 |
|
|
