Zak

In an instant life can change forever.

One moment 2 ½ year-old Zak was playing in his basement, and the next, his clothing and skin were consumed by fire after a nearby gas can fell next to the hot water heater and burst into flames.

Zak's burns were catastrophic, covering 95 percent of his tiny body. Saving Zak's life in 1988 had been difficult, but the true challenge would prove to be his life-long road to recovery.

Each year, nearly 2.5 million people suffer burns that require medical attention – and many of these victims are children who were carelessly playing with fire or, like Zak, were simply in the wrong place at the wrong time.

Unlike other injuries, burns require years of recovery. Often times, patients must undergo skin grafts, which can mean dozens of successive surgeries, along with excruciating pain. Burn patients also may face living with severe scarring or disfigurement.

That's why Zak sought treatment at the University of Michigan Trauma Burn Center, a Level 1 trauma and burn center within the U-M Health System that can provide the specialized care, services, equipment, and staff needed to treat the most serious burn and trauma injuries.

Today, life is much different for 19-year-old Zak.

With the help of the nurses and doctors in the U-M Trauma Burn Center, Zak, now a student at Washtenaw Community College, has learned to live with his injuries and enjoy life – and he is inspiring others to do the same.

As a camp counselor for the Trauma Burn Center's annual Kids Burn Camp, Zak is now teaching kids how to deal with their burn injuries and enjoy life to its fullest.