Meet MSKTC Ambassador Saima Sohail
- Saima Sohail
One of Saima’s greatest joys is to support her kids to pursue their passions. Her son is a dedicated cricketer, and her daughter, who was born after her burn injury in 2013, enjoys swimming and roller skating. Watching them grow in confidence through sports is incredibly rewarding. In her culture, supporting children in competitive athletics often requires dedication, persistence, and advocacy, and she is proud to encourage them to follow their dreams.
Saima also enjoys practicing and teaching yoga, which became an important part of her healing journey. Yoga helped her rebuild strength, flexibility, confidence, and emotional well-being. Another passion of hers is baking, which provided comfort and creativity during her recovery and continues to bring joy to her daily life. Moreover, her background in psychology studies and empathetic nature keeps her on edge to bring change in community and help them recover through counselling sessions especially burn survivors.
People often describe Saima as resilient, compassionate, optimistic, and determined. She believes that even life's greatest challenges can become opportunities for growth and that every human soul has the ability to positively impact the lives of others.
Saima's Traumatic Burn Injury Journey
Saima is a burn survivor, wife and mother of burn survivors, psychology graduate, yoga teacher, and peer supporter. In 2011, a gas heater explosion changed her life when she sustained severe burns to approximately one-third of her body, including her face, hands, arm, and calf. Her husband and young son were also injured in the same incident.
While the physical recovery was challenging, the emotional and social impact of living with visible scars proved equally significant. As a woman, she encountered stigma, isolation, and limited access to psychosocial support. Through the strength of her family, the healing benefits of yoga, and connections with fellow survivors, she learned that recovery extends far beyond wound healing but it also involves rebuilding confidence, rediscovering purpose, and finding hope.
As both a survivor and the parent of a survivor, Saima understands the lifelong challenges, burn injuries can bring to individuals and families. She completed the Phoenix Society Survivors Offering Assistance to Recovery (SOAR) Peer Support Training Program and now supports other survivors by sharing resources, encouragement, and lived experiences. She also serves as the coordinator for the All About Burns Podcast, hosted by burn survivor Mr. Corey Halstead. Her journey has reinforced her belief that burn survivors can lead meaningful, fulfilling lives if given access to information, peer support, and opportunities to thrive.
What does Saima think of the quality, usefulness, and user-friendliness of the MSKTC resources?
Saima believes that MSKTC resources are an outstanding support of reliable, evidence-based information for burn survivors, families, caregivers, and healthcare professionals. The materials are thoughtfully organized, easy to understand, and addresses many of the challenges people encounter throughout recovery.
What stands out most to her is MSKTC's recognition that recovery involves much more than physical healing. The resources addresses emotional well-being, social reintegration, relationships, employment, and overall improvement in quality of life areas that are often overlooked but are essential to long-term recovery.
Living in a part of world where burn specific educational resources are limited, she especially appreciates the accessibility and practical nature of the MSKTC materials. The fact sheets, videos, and educational tools provide information that survivors and families can immediately apply to everyday life. These resources help individuals feel informed, empowered, and supported throughout their recovery journey.
Why does Saima want to be an MSKTC ambassador?
Saima wants to become an MSKTC Ambassador because she understands the importance of firsthand information, support, and hope during recovery from a person with burn injury. One of the greatest challenges she faced was the lack of psychosocial support available to help her navigate the emotional and social consequences of her injuries.
She does not want other women or any burn survivors to experience the same isolation she faced. Her goal is to help connect survivors and families around the world, with trusted information and resources that can improve their quality of life.
How Does Saima Plan to Serve as an MSKTC Ambassador?
As an MSKTC Ambassador, Saima is committed to sharing these resources with burn survivors, caregivers, healthcare professionals, and community organizations. She plans to incorporate MSKTC materials into peer support conversations, advocacy initiatives, educational activities, and social media outreach to increase awareness of burn recovery and life after injury.
Through her work as a SOAR trained peer supporter and coordinator for the All About Burns Podcast, she has witnessed the profound impact that accurate information and shared experiences can have on survivors and their families. Access to knowledge helps reduce isolation, build confidence, and create hope for the future.
She looks forward to promoting MSKTC resources, providing meaningful feedback as an ambassador, and helping more survivors and families benefit from the education, support, and encouragement with the help of resources provided by MSKTC.