Re: My niece in the fire

[CMKSAGEHIL@aol.com]

I posted initially to ridecamp and not to the PNER list, so those of you who 
already have read some of this, pardon the repeat.  And THANK YOU to so many 
who have sent e-mails and have offered prayers and positive thoughts.

For those of you who know my sister, Heather Thomas, from her participation 
in earlier years in the Bitteroot CTR Conference, or who have read her many 
articles in equine publications--her daughter Andrea was severely burned in a 
range fire started by "5th of July" left-over fireworks.  She and a friend 
attempted to get a fire line started around the fire with a bulldozer while 
waiting for fire crews to arrive.  The wind shifted and literally engulfed 
the dozer--the first fire fighters on the scene say that it looked like a 
tornado of flame, and they are utterly amazed that my niece and her friend 
got out of it.  Andrea has 51% of her body burned--42% 3rd degree burns and 
9% 2nd degree burns (update from previous information).  She was fortunate in 
that the first fire crew member on the scene was well versed in first aid and 
also activated Life Flight at the same time that he called the local 
ambulance--they were several miles out on a ranch.  She received good first 
aid at the scene, and the Life Flight jet was already at the Salmon, Idaho, 
airport waiting by the time she had been stablized at the local hospital.  
She was flown to the outstanding burn unit at University Hospital in Salt 
Lake City, and was there less than three hours after being burned.  She was 
listed as critical but stable.  She is still not out of the woods, but is 
semiconscious and able to respond--although still unable to speak as she is 
on a respirator.

Andrea's daughter Emily (age 2-1/2) was present at the fire, and is still 
dealing with scenes of her mommy with "dirty owies," "two towels," and 
"scarey guys" helping her mommy.

A disaster fund has been started at the First Security Bank in Salmon.  
Andrea does have medical insurance, but it is very high deductible, and 
Heather's family faces numerous expenses traveling back and forth from Salmon 
to Salt Lake over the next few months.  If any who know Heather want to help 
out, the address for the fund is:   ANDREA THOMAS DAINE FUND, FIRST SECURITY 
BANK, P.O.BOX 810, SALMON, IDAHO, 83467. 

Thanks again for all the prayers--the power of prayer is incredible.

Heidi