Give Amplify Connect

Transforming Burn Recovery with Technology and Heart

• Wolfe Pack Warriors Foundation • Episode 13

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Join us for an inspiring conversation with Dr. Josh Wong, a dedicated burns and plastic surgeon, and Owen Chatwin, a passionate firefighter and secretary of the Edmonton Firefighters Burn Treatment Society. We explore Josh's incredible journey from architecture to burn care, guided by his profound experiences in Southeast Asia, and Owen's unwavering commitment to supporting burn victims. The heroic efforts of these individuals, along with the heartwarming contributions of veteran nurse Laura Vey, showcase the powerful community bonds and mutual admiration between healthcare professionals and the patients they serve.

Experience the profound impact of camp programs designed especially for young burn victims and their siblings, where peer support and shared experiences offer unparalleled emotional healing. Listen as we highlight the advanced technologies and specialized care provided at the Burn Unit at the University of Alberta Hospital, made possible through financial donations and social media engagement. The courage and dedication of full-time firefighters, alongside the inspiring stories of burn survivors, reflect the relentless passion driving the Edmonton Firefighters Burn Treatment Society. Tune in to discover how you can be a part of this vital cause and make a difference in the lives of many.

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About Our Guests
Dr. Josh Wong completed his medical school, residency in Plastic Reconstructive Surgery and a Master of Science in peripheral nerve regeneration at the University of Alberta. After further specialization he returned to the University of Alberta and works as an academic associate professor of surgery with particular interest in burns, cold injury, trauma, complex wounds and skin malignancies. Dr. Wong is the clinical competency chair for the residency program as well as the quality assurance officer of the Edmonton Firefighters’ Burn Treatment Center.

Owen Chatwin is a firefighter with the City of Edmonton, serving for nine years and currently stationed at Station 17 in Castledowns. He has been actively involved with the Edmonton Firefighters Burn Treatment Society for four years, now serving as Secretary and Social Media Director. Owen enjoys the Society’s activities, fundraisers, and especially the Alberta Firefighters Burn Camp for Children, where he spends a week with burn survivors. Supported by his wife Becky and their dog Bernie, he dedicates many hours to the charity.



What is Give Amplify Connect?


There’s a story behind every action. Give Amplify Connect is a podcast from the Wolfe Pack Warriors Foundation that gives a voice to the Alberta-based charitable organizations creating community impact, changing lives, and making a difference. Driven by honest conversations with host Kristy Wolfe, it’s a chance for passionate changemakers to share their story.


Learn more at wolfepackwarriors.com

Podcast music used with artist permission
"Okay" by Ellen Braun


Dr. Joshua Wong:

camp and the burn unit that really impacted me. One was being able to meet the firefighters for who they are. But you know, I don't think people really understand the amount of risk that that comes with that job. But the idea is you literally put your life on the line to save right. And so what's interesting is we get firefighters at the burn unit and, um, the reason is, even with all the gear, they can still get burned right. It hits home because they do all the support to support our burn foundation, but yet they're also some of the ones who are most at risk of of getting some of these injuries.

Introduction:

Host and producer Christy Wolf sits down with the leaders of the nonprofit world to learn more about their purpose, hopes and dreams. Settle in for an honest conversation with Christy about the impact people are making in their communities and how they keep moving forward.

Kristy Wolfe:

With me today. We have two guests. Owen Chatwin and Josh Wong are both connected to the Edmonton Firefighters Burn Treatment Society and the Burn Unit at the University of Alberta Hospital. Josh, let's start with you. Will you please introduce yourself and tell us a little bit more about you and the Burn Unit?

Dr. Joshua Wong:

Absolutely Well.

Dr. Joshua Wong:

My name is Josh Wong and it's a pleasure to be able to join you today, be able to join you today.

Dr. Joshua Wong:

I myself am a burns and plastic surgeon and tell you a little bit more about my story later, but I basically work at the University of Alberta Hospital on the firefighters burn treatment unit and we have the privilege of being able to look after adults as well as children who have all sorts of different burn injuries, whether that's through flame or scald or electrical injury, and even in the wintertime with cold injuries and frostbite. And so it's been a privilege to be able to work really closely with our main support system, which is the Burn Treatment Society. Our main support system, which is the Burn Treatment Society and that has gone way back from the forefront of even the development of our burn unit, and so both the sort of boots on the ground, clinic care for all our patients and in the ICU, as well as the research side, and the long ongoing sort of years down the road when we're managing the scar all that has been made possible because of our partnership with the Burn Treatment Society.

Kristy Wolfe:

Okay. Well, this sounds like the perfect time for Owen to introduce himself.

Owen Chatwin:

Yeah, I'm Owen Chatwin. I'm a firefighter with the City of Edmonton. I've been a firefighter there for nine years now. I'm the secretary on the Edmonton Firefighters Burn Treatment Society and the social media director, so I have a couple of different jobs there. And yeah, I got involved I think probably four years ago now with the charity and just been enjoying it ever since and trying to get more involved. As things come up, I try to step in and do everything and yeah, I'm just enjoying it.

Kristy Wolfe:

Awesome. Thanks, owen. And so just to kind of bring everybody up to speed, the last episode of the Give, amplify, connect podcast was with Laura Vey, who's the camp director, as well as the Cormier family. So they are talking about Burn Camp, which is one of the initiatives supported by Edmonton Firefighters Burn Treatment Society, and Laura Vey also works on the burn unit. Is that correct, josh?

Dr. Joshua Wong:

Yes, she does, and we've known her working on the burn unit for years, from when since she was just as a buddy nurse starting to now being one of the most experienced veteran charge nurses that are working with us. And yeah, it's just amazing partner with her on both sides.

Kristy Wolfe:

On that podcast, tristan and Savannah were asked the question who's somebody that inspires you? At the end of the podcast we talk about that and they were like Laura, like I want to be a nurse, and you could see her just like, so happy, like heart filled, right, that feeling of really being seen, I think even by kids, is really important. So tell us more how you got involved. Oh, and you started to talk a little bit about how you got involved with the society. But, josh, how did you get involved?

Dr. Joshua Wong:

Well, burn care. That's an interesting story and I mean, if I were to tell you the whole story we'd probably have about 10 podcasts. But I was, you know it. Coming straight at high school was going to be an architect and, um, I had everything's lined up to go east to study at ryerson polytech as that. And and then a good friend of mine who who was studying in the sciences and wanted to study medicine was, hey, let's just go one summer and just go volunteer. So we just ended up making a trip out to Southeast Asia to volunteer. We ended up volunteering with a nonprofit that was related with medical work and this particular trip that we went on, that was two and a half weeks long, was helping children with burns and burn scars.

Dr. Joshua Wong:

And you know, coming home home from that, my life was changed. I was like I I want to look after burn burn victims and and help with their lives and and see what impact that that could be made, especially with some of the surgeries and care that was given to them, and so that kind of changed the course of my life. I ended up switching to sciences, then going into medical school, going into in canada. If you want to study burns, you have to do plastic surgery, or at least most of us would do plastic surgery, which isn't sort of a you the normal public wouldn't think of it that way but, um, because of the a lot of the different types of surgeries that we do or they're managing wounds that's basically what you would do in burns.

Dr. Joshua Wong:

And then, um, and then, and then I ended up getting into a fellowship training program that's in Burns, that was in Seattle, and they had a really, really close relationship with their firefighters as well as their camp, and so that's how I got really inspired to be involved with camp, because when I was there, that's what I ended up being able to do during the summertime. And so when I came back to Edmonton, where I was there, that's what I ended up being able to do during the summertime. And so when I came back to Edmonton, where I trained originally, I really wanted to get involved. And that's how I got involved, obviously through Laura and Owen and others at the Burn Treatment Society, and now I just, yeah, it's been a big passion of mine to both be involved with camp but also some of the endeavors of the Burn Treatment Society.

Kristy Wolfe:

Oh, and will you talk about some of the endeavors? I know Burn Camp. We've learned a bit about Burn Camp, but what else does Edmonton Firefighters Burn Treatment Society do?

Owen Chatwin:

So, yeah, we just fundraise throughout the year, trying to do different events. One of our main ones is the firefighter calendar that we do. We have a gala night where we have at a Fantasyland Hotel. We have about 500 guests come and just for our gala and a little bit of a show that goes on, a little entertainment there, and then we select the firefighters to be in the calendar and then from that night and the calendar, um is one of our main fundraiser throughout the year. Um, we do a couple other things. Our golf tournament um is uh, one big one for us and then, yeah, just smaller things. Um, fundraisers, we're trying to look for as much as we can and anytime something comes up. We got a board of directors that is very involved and committed to volunteering their time. It's all full-time firefighters.

Kristy Wolfe:

Perfect, and we'll be talking, I mean through social media. We'll tag some of those events as we keep going. Wolfpack Warriors Foundation has a landing page that leads to all of the work you do. So also connected to funding patient care, as well as research and innovation side of things. Owen, did you go to camp? Have you gone to the camp? Have you been on the burn unit? What's your connection to all of those pieces?

Owen Chatwin:

Yeah, last year was my first year at camp. Like what I said, I was trying to get involved with everything and Laura asked for some firefighters to go down for camp and I'm like, absolutely I'm going. So I went down there last year and I fell in love and I said I'm going every year now, for as long as I can, as long as they'll let me go. So I just had a blast. I think I was just involved, probably having fun, just side by side with the kids in there. Um, couldn't separate me from them. So it's just, yeah, I had a blast, um, everything. There was just so much fun. Yeah, so there's a few videos of me. I'll goof around and have a good time and, yeah, plan on continuing that.

Kristy Wolfe:

So josh, do you make it down to camp?

Dr. Joshua Wong:

yeah. So since I've been back, at least for the non-covid years, because we had to stop during covid for I think two years I've been there, um, as a volunteer and it's crazy because you get to see all the children who've been injured in, I would say, mostly alberta, something we've looked after some kids in saskatchewan and Northwest Territories and stuff. We try to get them all to be able to come right before school starts. And it's crazy because it's this environment where the kids are able to share a cabin with other kids that have had similar injuries or and you realize that everyone has their own story and everyone goes through their own struggles. But because everyone has their own struggles, they realize they're not just themselves.

Dr. Joshua Wong:

You know, sometimes in their own schools they feel like they're just the only ones who have to go through something so traumatic or why do I have scars like this and that? And that's really cool to see because it's a different perspective than we see in the clinic and just being able to hang out with the kids and see them be able to tell their stories, but just hang out and be goofy and then build their confidence right, like they get. We get to do these like cool activities, high ropes courses and go camping and go on hikes, and we've got kids with amputations and prosthetics and things like that that are doing all these things and I think it inspires everyone, especially us as the counselors, to just keep doing what we're doing, but it inspires them to get launched back into school with confidence as well.

Kristy Wolfe:

Well and I could hear it in talking to Tristan and Savannah and Savannah is a sibling who's also come to the camp because my understanding is that it's not just for burn victims but also their siblings, and I think that peer support piece is something that's incredibly helpful.

Kristy Wolfe:

I asked the kids to tell me a bit about how I can convince my son to go to camp because he's a congenital heart kid and so we've kind of approached the same idea of there's a group of people that you might have things that you can talk about that you can't talk with some of your other friends, and that might be a neat space to be in. And it was just neat to listen to the kids talk to me about what I could say to him. So just starting to think about how important those connections are and, on that same note, josh, hearing you say like what it means for the counselors, like reminding you there's really hard days in the work that you both do, and getting to see some of that light and laughter out of it and getting to see people that you might have seen in clinic or on a call, I think is incredible.

Owen Chatwin:

Yeah, just seeing the kids and having them come out to events like Tristan he's come out to a few of our events and given a few speeches and he makes the eyes water pretty good for not just the attendees but the people that are volunteering from the burn unit and the burn treatment society. So it's just seeing them, what they get out of. It is so amazing.

Kristy Wolfe:

Well, and you saying that you do the social media, so did's just seeing them, what they get out of, it is so amazing. Well, and you saying that you do the social media, so did you do the?

Owen Chatwin:

video of him beatboxing at the gala this year. I took the video, yeah.

Kristy Wolfe:

I was showing my kids so they were like no way. I have nine and 11 year old sons and we were talking about the beatbox, so we'll be sure to share that as well, because that was a great video and just like the fun that you can have with it, which is what I imagined camp to be like right, I was a camp counselor for years and just like bringing kids together, singing goofy songs, being silly, and also them getting to see you both in that scenario so a doctor that they've seen in hospital, firefighter, like that's I think that's an incredible connection as well. Are there any stories that are coming up for you, about stories of impact that stand out in your mind from through the years?

Dr. Joshua Wong:

being able to meet the firefighters for who they are. But you know, I don't think people really understand the amount of risk that that comes with that job. But the idea is you literally put your life on the line to save right, and so what's interesting is we get firefighters at the burn unit and, um, the reason is, even with all the gear, they can still get burned right. A couple of years back, I'm still looking after a firefighter who, who was um doing firefighting and in the in the process of of being able to to help extract somebody from a building, the floor broke and so he fell in and so he was stuck there for a while and he got burns and we had to look after him.

Dr. Joshua Wong:

Then, on on another occasion, we had about four firefighters on training who ended up um in a really really hot space, crawl space, um during a training facility, um and and got some burns. And they come in and and I I really it hits home because, uh, they do all the support to support our burn foundation, but yet they're also some of the ones who are most at risk of of getting some of these injuries as well. So it's crazy to be able to just hang out with them, whether it's at camp or at some of our burn conference meetings, where we all go to present as a team or just to to learn as a team, and and it's, I will say, not every burn center in the country has such a tight relationship with their firefighters and it's a huge privilege for us to be able to have that.

Kristy Wolfe:

Oh, that's. I'm so glad you brought that up, because that was definitely not on my radar but makes a lot of sense now that you've said it. Owen, have you gone to some of the education with these guys?

Owen Chatwin:

you've said it, owen, have you gone to some of the education with these guys? Yeah, so I went down. I didn't get to go this year, but last year I went down to Dallas, texas. The American Burn Association has a conference every year and I got to go learn there and yeah, that was just inspiring too to see and learn and just be involved with that.

Owen Chatwin:

And then the other relationship, like Josh was saying, with the burn unit and the doctors and learn and just be involved with that. And then the other relationship, like Josh was saying, um, with the brain unit and the doctors and nurses and educators and everyone involved there. You just get to see um them and uh, yeah, in different environment and get those relationships and you see where the money is going and it just yeah, it inspires you that much more to try to get these um doctors that I would say are the best in the entire world and when we can raise funds for them and get them technology and equipment to make their job better and make them better, it's just yeah, cool to see it come full circle, I guess.

Kristy Wolfe:

Yeah, well, and I will put in the the show notes of this episode. Just a link to the University Hospital Foundation is who works with the Edmonton Firefighters Burn Treatment Society. So if people are thinking they'd like to make a donation or learn more, we'll put those links in there. But that also makes me wonder, josh. We've heard a little bit about the burn unit and I, from my understanding I live in Canmore it's the only one in Alberta. Can you tell us a bit more about the burn unit? It's the only one in.

Dr. Joshua Wong:

Alberta.

Dr. Joshua Wong:

Can you tell us a bit more about the burn unit?

Dr. Joshua Wong:

Yeah, so the burn unit is a intensive care unit that's built for managing burns because of how intensive number one the wound care can be for burn patients and also because burn patients are extremely prone to infection They've lost their skin, which is the biggest barrier to infection and so it's built in a way that we can manage a certain number of critically ill burn patients and then when they are stepped down meaning when most of their wounds have healed then we can step them down to our plastic surgery ward.

Dr. Joshua Wong:

Most of their wounds have healed, then we can step them down to our plastic surgery ward.

Dr. Joshua Wong:

But the crazy thing about the burn unit is that our head researcher, burn director, is Dr Edward Tredgett, and he was here at the basically the inaugural opening of this current burn unit that's in at the University of Alberta Hospital, and the constant design is being improved over the years. One of the biggest improvements was in infection control and having like ultraviolet light to help kill the bacteria in the sinks, so that the bacteria of the water coming through wouldn't be spread to the patients, for example. And there's all these new technologies that have been implemented into our burn unit because it's such a specialized patient population, sort of like, for example, liver transplant patients and others, and they can be really sick at times, right, and so we have all these disciplines working together in this one region, and the technologies and the space and how everything's architecturally designed is really important, and I will say that the research, as well as the equipment and the design, so much of that has become possible just by the support, the financial support, that we receive from the Burn Treatment Society.

Kristy Wolfe:

Okay, perfect, and so I will also put a link to how to get a calendar or how to get one for the next year. Mine's right there. I can see it from here, owen, just so you know. It was a pretty neat way to do it and to hear where the money goes into. Like we know, burn Camp is one part of it, but there's so many more things that are involved with that. Are there any other ways that you guys would each mention about how people could help either give, amplify or connect what you're doing? We've talked about financial donations. We've talked about I mean, the podcast is helping to talk about what you do and spread the word, the gala, things like that but is there anything else that comes to mind that people could do to support?

Owen Chatwin:

First one that comes to my head is because I'm the social media director is just a repost, a like, a follow, anything like that. It might not mean a lot, just to click a button, but like that social media stuff, when it starts building and gets momentum online, the awareness grows and yeah, just even yeah, just to get it out. That way is big because yeah, follows, anything like that, the more you get of that, the more traction it gets and just awareness grows there.

Kristy Wolfe:

Okay, that's really helpful. And I think taking a look at the social media and then especially, sharing some of that prevention idea send it to a friend, a friend is helpful things you can do just to support the mission of what they're doing with the burn camp, with EFBTS and the burn unit. All right, friends, I want you to tell us we're going to kind of close out a little bit but I want you to tell us about an organization or a person that maybe you've worked with, maybe you'd like to work with, that inspires you you've worked with.

Owen Chatwin:

Maybe you'd like to work with uh, that inspires you. I get inspired by um, like the burn, like the staff, the doctors they're just the care they have, like the passion um the nurse liaisons that come out and volunteer their time. The firefighters that volunteer their time, cause our whole charity is made up of um, like I said, firefighters, full-time firefighters that go to work um every day. Yeah, um, in their spare time they're raising money to go to charity. So it's such a such a big commitment and ask. And then um, a lot of the people that we have that uh donate to us are continual um annual donations and those organizations. It's just like it means a lot to get that money because, um, that's hard earned money that they're working for and they're giving it away to charity, which is it's pretty cool to see that all that money come in and what we can raise in a year.

Owen Chatwin:

Yeah, obviously, the um the passion, too, from the people that we've met at camp, like the burn survivors, um, the kids, um, tristan is amazing. There's a few other ones that come to mind that um are just like warriors wolfpack warriors. They're uh are burn camp warriors and the stuff they go through and the the pain they go through um just lifelong, with scars and surgeries, and I'm wondering if any of the kids come back and help out at the camp later on after they've been to camp.

Kristy Wolfe:

Have you had any kids come back and kind of be a counselor or that kind of idea?

Owen Chatwin:

yeah, yeah, there's a couple and I think the I don't know. Josh might know more. The main counselor was a um burn survivor.

Dr. Joshua Wong:

Now she was running it last year, right, yes, and she's the camp head counselor now and she actually aged out of our burn camp going to the same camp every year and then eventually missed it so much that she went to go work back at the camp and within a couple of years now has worked her way up to the leadership in that.

Kristy Wolfe:

Oh, I love that. Okay, and then, josh, what about you, a person or an organization that inspires you, one that you'd like to work with or have already worked with?

Dr. Joshua Wong:

I think we would like to just continue to partner. But I think one of the things that we want to do, from sort of the both the burn unit and burn treatment society part, is to try to partner with more organizations, as yourself, so that we can get our word out. Our old models, which have been sometimes, um, you know, we'll set up some stands and sell some coupon books not that those are bad things, but sometimes we'll set those up at likes, at home depot or something like that, and we may not get the same traction. But you know, you know, even partnering with, say, go with the Oilers Entertainment Group 5050 or somewhere where we could get a large venue to be able to spread the word, it would really help us to capture a little bit more traction. That's part of our dream is to help continue to expand the vision of the Burn Treatment Society.

Kristy Wolfe:

Well, I'm so glad you put it out there. This is exactly the kind of way you do that right, by having those conversations, stating it and then who knows where it will go. It's one of the things that we think about. From the Wolfpack Warriors Foundation, there is a financial contribution, but really, what are the things that we can do to help amplify what you are doing and also making some connections between organizations that are like-minded, maybe supporters that are like-minded. So here's hoping we get that message to the right ears. Josh, Owen and Josh, thank you so much for coming on today. I really appreciate you taking the time out of your day to tell us more about what you do every day to support kids and their families.

Dr. Joshua Wong:

Thanks so much for having us and thanks for doing what you do day to support kids and their families.

Caroline Thompson:

Thanks so much for having us and thanks for doing what you do, really appreciate it. Hello everyone, my name is Carolyn Thompson and I am the Director of Philanthropy at the University Hospital Foundation. Each year, first responders, health care workers and other volunteers work tirelessly to raise funds to support research and education, new technology and equipment and patient care to treat burn victims. Now you may wonder how or why is the University Hospital Foundation involved in the Edmonton Firefighter Burn Treatment Society? Well, the University Hospital Foundation raises funds to advance patient care and innovation at the University of Alberta Hospital, the Mazankowski Alberta Heart Institute and the Kaye Edmonton Clinic, as well as innovative research, and we support the Edmonton Firefighter Burn Treatment Unit at the? U of A Hospital which, by the way, is the number one burn unit in Canada. So please join me and donate generously through the University Hospital Foundation.

Kristy Wolfe:

Thank you for joining us today. The purpose of the Wolfe Pack Warriors Foundation is to give, amplify and connect. Visit our website wolfepackwarriors. com to learn more about this initiative or connect with us about a registered charity that is important to you. Don't miss the next episode. Follow Give, amplify, connect on your favorite podcast platform to hear from other Alberta-based nonprofits about the work they are doing. On a final note, remember to take care of yourself and your pack.

Introduction:

Okay, you're gonna be okay. You're gonna be okay. Hush, my darling gonna be okay, You're gonna be okay.

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Kristy Wolfe

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