6

Ryan and I had been to New York before, but never like we did at the end of August. We ventured north to attend the Phoenix Society's World Burn Congress. Operation Comfort was kind enough to host a group of about 30, burn survivors and their caregivers, and they pulled out all the stops. When we arrived in New York, the pilot asked the other passengers to remain seated so our group could deboard the plane. When we did, we were greeted by New York's finest firefighters and police officers and a round of applause from everyone nearby. I was not expecting that and it really got me choked up. The FDNY provided vehicles and escort to our hotel and it really started our trip off with a bang.

The World Burn Congress is held in a different city every year, but New York drew a bigger crowd than any year past. There were over 900 burn survivors, caregivers, medical professionals and firefighters in attendance from all over the world. Over the four days of the congress, there were guest speakers, break out sessions, classes, and open mic opportunities. Never had we been around so many burn survivors and it was very moving to hear all their stories. People who had been burned in house fires, work accidents, meth explosions, and domestic violence. People who had been burned at all ages, recently and long past. Obvious burn injuries and "invisible" burns. Everyone was willing to share and everyone was willing to listen. We learned so much in just a few days and were so glad to connect with Phoenix Society. The event ended with a gala on the last night, and by that time it seemed like we'd all known each other forever. It was sad to say goodbye.

Outside of the congress events, the firefighters were our New York City tour guides taking us to the Statue of Liberty, Ellis Island, Coney Island, and the World Trade Center Memorial and Museum. They took us for a ride on the Hudson in the marine one fire boat, for an authentic Italian dinner, to a street fair in Brooklyn, and fed us a huge meal at every station we visited. It was a tour of New York that we felt honored to be a part of.

The best part of our trip to New York was spending so much time getting to know the firefighters. There was such a connection between the military and the firefighters, and each had so much respect for the others' willingness to sacrifice their lives for others. What can you say for a group of people who run into a building when everyone else is running out, who run into the fire to try to keep others from being burned. We knew we were in the presence of heroes, it was very humbling.

We came home from New York with an unforgettable experience.

There are fire stations every few blocks in Manhattan because of the dense population in the city. Ladder 4 here is the "Pride of Midtown", while the Engine next to it read "Never Missed a Performance".

Tenhouse is the home of Engine 10 and Ladder 10 directly across the street from the World Trade Center. They suffered heavy losses on September 11, 2001.

All jazzed up for the gala.

As we were taking the ferry back from Liberty Island and Ellis Island, the fireboat put on a show just for us!

The firefighters in Brooklyn were kind enough to let a few of us slide down the fire pole.

No trip to Brooklyn is complete without a stop at Coney Island and a ride on the Wonder Wheel.