In December 2020, Heather Linnemann was in a car accident. She was burned on more than 60% of her body. She was in a coma for three months at Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center, and soon after, decided to attend Bayview’s New Life Burn Society, a support group for people who have burns.

“The group provides a great sense of fellowship,” says Linnemann, of White Marsh, Maryland. “It gives you a connection to other people. We encourage each other through difficult times.”

Tessa Welch, a social worker at Bayview’s Burn Center, says the group meets on the third Tuesday of every month at noon. The group is a chapter of the Phoenix Society, a national organization that offers support and resources for people with burns. The Bayview chapter was founded in 1987 to connect survivors and foster relationships.

“Most of our participants are in the early stages of healing,” says Welch. “We leave it open-ended for the survivors to have the opportunity to share. It’s a safe space to connect. They talk about things like physical therapy and surgeries, and use the session to get support.”

Welch says there are typically five to 10 people in every session. The youngest member is 18, and the oldest is in their mid-60s.

“Despite how people have been burned, their outlooks and experiences are very similar,” says Welch. “Participants who are very different can come together and find community. They are able to find commonality despite their varying backgrounds.”

Welch says she has learned that survivorship can be lonely for people with burns. They become a minority in everyday life, and having a community like this one helps in their healing.

“They can see firsthand that life goes on, and there’s still meaning outside of their identity of being a burn survivor,” Welch says. “They share tips and tricks on how to cope with the discomfort or the physical pain. The group is a crucial part of their healing process.”

When Linnemann, 43, first joined the group, she attended virtually. She worried that fears about public perception might push her toward isolation during recovery.

“I refused to be that person,” Linnemann says. “I went to Costco my first week home, even though I had a giant walker and my face is 90% burnt. In the group, I learned that I was a lot stronger than I thought I was.”

Through the group, Linnemann became a peer supporter. She volunteers to go to the hospital when someone has been burned and shares her own story. She also listens to the survivors and answers their questions.

Brooke Dean, a physical therapist and clinical specialist at Bayview’s Burn Center, also helps facilitate the monthly group.

“The support group is important for our survivors to feel like they have a community of people who have gone through similar experiences to what they have,” Dean says. “Surviving a burn injury can feel really isolating. Being able to talk with others and share experiences can be really healing.”

Dean says the group is very welcoming and nonjudgmental. She says group members validate each other’s experiences, and can sometimes find humor in their shared experiences.

“They can reflect about times they had to problem-solve doing something they found challenging, and laugh together about how it comes easier,” she says. “The group provides a lot of hope because they’re able to talk to people who have been where they’ve been, but are now living full lives.”

Christian Proulx started attending the group in May 2024 after spending several months in the intensive care unit. Proulx, of Severna Park, Maryland, had a car accident and suffered severe burns.

“I remember I didn’t know what to expect. I didn’t know what the burn community was like,” Proulx recalled. “When I got there, I felt so comforted and so welcome. The people had all been through something very similar. I was feeling very alone and thinking, ‘How could this happen to me?’ Seeing the other people in group helped me a lot to know I’m not alone.”

Proulx, 20, says his favorite part of the group is the variety of backgrounds and life experiences.

“There are so many different people with so many different stories,” he says. “Month to month, you’ll see new people and hear new stories. A lot of their struggles are something we’ve already dealt with, so we’re able to help those people. Everyone in the group can give them insight on how we dealt with the same struggles.”

Proulx says the group encouraged him to take that first step of returning to activities he used to do.

“That was something I struggled with because I was so scared of judgment about what people would think of my scars. If people are curious, I tell them my story,” he says. “Now I tell a lot of new people to be bold and take the first step. I encourage people to tell their story. I tell new people that this isn’t the end. It’s just the beginning.”

For more information on attending the New Life Burn Society at Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center, please email Tessa Welch at [email protected]. For more information on Phoenix Society for Burn Survivors, please visit: phoenix-society.org.