07-05-2025
Last Aliamanu fireworks burn patient discharged from Straub
COURTESY STRAUB BENIOFF Charmaine Benigno, a mother of two in her 20s, suffered from the most complex, severe burns, according to Straub Benioff, but made an amazing recovery. She gets an emotional sendoff from Straub Benioff's Burn Care Unit staff.
1 /2 COURTESY STRAUB BENIOFF Charmaine Benigno, a mother of two in her 20s, suffered from the most complex, severe burns, according to Straub Benioff, but made an amazing recovery. She gets an emotional sendoff from Straub Benioff's Burn Care Unit staff.
COURTESY STRAUB BENIOFF Charmaine Benigno, a mother of two in her 20s, suffered from the most complex, severe burns, according to Straub Benioff, but made an amazing recovery. She gets an emotional sendoff from Straub Benioff's Burn Care Unit staff.
2 /2 COURTESY STRAUB BENIOFF Charmaine Benigno, a mother of two in her 20s, suffered from the most complex, severe burns, according to Straub Benioff, but made an amazing recovery. She gets an emotional sendoff from Straub Benioff's Burn Care Unit staff.
COURTESY STRAUB BENIOFF Charmaine Benigno, a mother of two in her 20s, suffered from the most complex, severe burns, according to Straub Benioff, but made an amazing recovery. She gets an emotional sendoff from Straub Benioff's Burn Care Unit staff.
COURTESY STRAUB BENIOFF Charmaine Benigno, a mother of two in her 20s, suffered from the most complex, severe burns, according to Straub Benioff, but made an amazing recovery. She gets an emotional sendoff from Straub Benioff's Burn Care Unit staff.
The Straub Benioff Medical Center today announced the discharge of the last burn patient from the Aliamanu fireworks explosion on New Year's Day.
Charmaine Benigno, a mother of two in her 20s, suffered from the most complex, severe burns, according to Straub Benioff, but made an amazing recovery. She suffered burns to more than 80 % of her body.
Out of more than 20 patients from the explosion, she was the last burn patient still in the care of Straub Benioff's Burn Care Unit operated by Hawaii Pacific Health, more than four months later.
The medical center chaplain blessed Benigno and her family before the emotional sendoff, in which dozens of staff stood in a line, holding paper hearts with personal messages of good wishes for her healing journey.
They were from the Burn Care Unit, ICU, operating room and physical therapy team, who all worked with Benigno on her road to recovery.
Benigno was smiling tearfully as she was rolled out in a wheelchair. She told staff she would never forget them in a video shared with the press.
'Straub Benioff team, I can't thank you all enough for the positive impact you've made, ' she is quoted as saying in a thank you note to the team. 'Each one of you has a piece of my heart. You made my life better when I felt like giving up. You are the reason I have a second chance in life. I know my journey isn't going to be easy, but I'll keep going strong, one day at a time.'
She added, 'The Straub Benioff care team made me feel safe, especially when I was at my worst. They always made sure I was comfortable. My recovery was hard, but the care I received made it much better. Not only did they keep my spirits up with their help and smiles, but they also saved me through the toughest time of my life.'
Dr. David Cho, Straub Benioff surgeon, recalls coming in one Sunday and seeing her awake for the first time while connected to a ventilator. It was a milestone in her recovery.
'Any patient with 80 % body burn is at real risk for death, ' he said in the release. 'Char is the survivor with the largest burn from the incident. Obviously, that makes us all so happy that she was able to survive this. More importantly, we all knew she had kids. The whole time we knew she had little kids to get home to. We knew she wanted to see the kids, and the kids wanted to see mom. So, that made it special.'
Benigno still faces a long recovery ahead and will return every few weeks for skin grafts.
Straub Benioff's Burn Care Unit took in a majority of the patients from the mass casualty incident on Jan. 1, including the most critically injured. On that night, the unit admitted 10 patients, which is the most from a single event than any other time in its 42-year history.
The burn patients faced months of surgeries and treatments, plus recovery and rehabilitation.
A total of six patients in critical condition were also sent by military plane to the Arizona Burn Center Valleywise Health for treatment and recovery. Five were from the center in March, and also face a long recovery ahead.
The Jan. 1 fireworks explosion killed six and wounded dozens, and has led to at least 12 arrests and renewed efforts by lawmakers to crack down on the continued proliferation of illegal aerial fireworks in Hawaii.
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