bryan and jenna's story

• Age: 30
• Newlywed
• Motor vehicle accident resulted in severe burns and left-leg amputation below the knee
• Gives hope to burn survivors and their families
• Inpatient in November 2009; outpatient until May 2011

They gave me the strength and hope to know that I'm not going to be stuck in a wheelchair."

When 30-year-old Bryan and his fiancée Jenna were about to mail their wedding invitations, they had no idea they'd marry in a hospital chapel. Just a stone's throw away from his home, a vehicle crashed into Bryan's motorcycle, crushing his left leg and rupturing the gas tank. Next came the explosion.

Bryan sustained severe burns to 50 per cent of his body. His left leg was unsalvageable. In unimaginable pain, Bryan was induced into a coma for three weeks. When he woke, he already had hope. Not willing to put their lives or their wedding plans on hold, Bryan and Jenna married at the acute care hospital. A week later, Bryan came to St. John's Rehab Hospital.

Our specialized rehabilitation team gave Bryan and his new wife the tools and education they needed to recover independently. The nurse taught the couple how to change Bryan's wound dressings at home. His occupational therapist recommended devices to help with daily activities. Together, Bryan and Jenna learned to stretch and massage his scar tissue to minimize and reduce its appearance and improve mobility. And, in physiotherapy, they worked on exercises to strengthen his core and practised walking with his new prosthesis. Bryan was able to take control of the rehabilitation that reaffirmed his positive outlook.

Today, Bryan and Jenna are sharing the hope. The couple visits burn survivors and their families at their acute care hospital, sharing their experiences and reassuring patients that they will also live a happy, independent life.