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- Kelly Ann GrimmBurn AmbassadorRoleBurn ICU NurseLocationNew York City, NYFun Facts
Kelly Ann is a New York City native who now lives in Phoenix, Arizona with her husband, Chris, and two children, Owen and Elizabeth. She enjoys horseback riding, bicycling, and mountain climbing. Kelly Ann has a deep appreciation for trying new things. She recently took a cow-cutting lesson! She’s come a long way from the city.
Kelly's Experience with Burn Injury
Kelly Ann has been a burn ICU nurse for 17 years at three American Burn Association-verified burn centers throughout the United States. She has enjoyed caring for burn survivors and working with highly skilled multidisciplinary teams to address each of her critically ill patients’ needs. Kelly Ann considers the years spent caring for burn victims and their families from the most critical phases to the moment that they are discharged to be one of the greatest privileges. She continues to serve those affected by chronic medical conditions and survivors of catastrophic injuries now as a certified life care planner.
Why does Kelly Ann want to be an MSKTC ambassador?
Kelly Ann would like to be an MSKTC ambassador to remain connected to a community that means so much to her. She loves contributing to resources such as Model Systems that enhance the lives of others so meaningfully.
What has Kelly Ann done as an ambassador?
MSKTC contains resources that are beneficial to burn survivors at all stages of healing and recovery. As a burn nurse, Kelly Ann has utilized these resources to educate patients and their loved ones as they transitioned from the hospital to rehabilitation centers or their homes. As a life care planner, she utilizes these resources to assist in the formation of future care recommendations for survivors of catastrophic injury. She has shared MSKTC resources with other rehabilitation professionals through social media, professional organizations, and word of mouth. Kelly Ann hopes they too will utilize these resources to enhance the lives of others.
- Ian BurkhartSCI AmbassadorRoleIndividual with SCILocationOhioFun Facts
Before Ian’s spinal cord injury, he played lacrosse as a teenager and drew inspiration from the sense of community and the leadership the sport inspired. Eager for a return to that community after his SCI, Ian began coaching high school lacrosse in 2011. He notes that while coaching from a wheelchair is different, he knows that he can still impart life lessons to his athletes. In addition, while travel is more complicated in a wheelchair, Ian has a passion for visiting new and exciting places. He has journeyed through the mountainous Jackson Hole, Wyoming and observed that while there were many places that wheelchairs could not access, but he did not let this dampen his experience.
Ian’s Journey With SCI
Right after Ian’s SCI, he realized that he had never met someone with an SCI before. To him, his injury had made him an anomaly, and he felt incredibly alone. During his recovery in the hospital, a nurse mentioned a previous patient who also had an SCI, and when they came to visit , she introduced them. Meeting someone who had an SCI and who was still living a productive life assured Ian that life was not over, it was simply different.
During his recovery, Ian was given a unique opportunity to take part in a study stimulating the use of the hands controlled with a Brain Computer Interface. Through the 7-year trial, Ian was able to receive additional occupational therapy and felt that his function was improving. As the trial made headlines, a beneficiary who wanted to help in the SCI community contacted Ian. As a result, Ian was able to form a nonprofit dedicated to helping purchase equipment, such as wheelchairs and other mobility devices, for people with SCI who wanted to be more independent. To help improve the lives of people with SCI, Ian serves in leadership positions for organizations like the North American Spinal Cord Injury Consortium and the BCI Pioneers Coalition.
Why Does Ian Want to Be an Ambassador?
Ian knows how overwhelming it can be to figure out how to live with an SCI. It can be hard to find resources that provide information that is based on research and lived experience and that is also easy to understand. When he discovered the factsheets available from the Model Systems Knowledge Translation Center (MSKTC), he was eager to get involved.
What Has Ian Done as an Ambassador?
Ian has shared the MSKTC resources through his leadership role in nonprofit organizations that support people with SCI. When questions or needs arise, Ian has found that the MSKTC factsheets are an easily digestible resource he can share. Ian understands what it is like to be your own advocate and has found that MSKTC resources help people find trustworthy information that is easy to digest. As an ambassador, Ian has reviewed the MSKTC resources and provided input for improvements.