2009 Harman Award Presented to Bowers Family
Carly first contacted the Phoenix Society shortly after her husband Dave's injury. Amy recalled that Carly was looking for a local support group, but unfortunately there wasn't one, so the two started talking about things they could do "to make that happen." The Bowers have been staunch supporters of the Phoenix Society and its programs ever since.
In 2000, just 11 months after Dave's injury, the family attended their first WBC. In accepting the award at this year's banquet on behalf of her family, Carly admitted that they had been very fortunate to learn about the Phoenix Society "very early on in their journey to recovery." Despite the difficulty in traveling to the Congress in San Francisco so soon after Dave's injury, they were determined.
"At that point in our lives our family was searching," recalled Carly. "We were searching for answers to medical questions that we're going through our heads. We were looking for advice on how to help our kids, who at the time were 2 and 9. We were seeking support from other survivors and spouses who had gone through similar situations because we didn't know anybody else. We were looking for tools to help our family deal with the public and the staring. We overwhelmingly received all of that at the first World Burn that we went to. We found a family full of compassion and understanding, full of help and support. We felt a sense of belonging simply because of the burn experiences that we all share."
While their family no longer has that "desperate need" for information that drove them to their first WBC, she explained that they continue to return for the "overwhelming inspiration" they still receive.
"World Burn Congress," added Dave, "has provided us inspiration and hope."
Now they don't just attend each year but, according to Amy, they work tirelessly "behind the scenes," and have participated on numerous panels related to the impact of a burn injury on the entire family.
They are also SOAR volunteers. They have made care packages for the families of burn survivors at three different burn centers because, as Amy explained, "they know burn injury affects the whole family." They have hosted parties at their home to support that project and other Phoenix Society programs. Describing their contributions to the Society, Amy summed it up by saying, "When we call on them, they are there and ready to roll up their sleeves and help."
They have plans to do more. The Bowers, who are strong advocates for family-focused programming, have pledged their support of the children's program planned for WBC 2010.
"Along our journey our family has struggled with ‘why,' as many of you in this room have," Carly told the audience, "but fortunately several years ago we were able to move past that point and started asking, ‘Now that this has happened what can we do to help other people and support other people and reach out to other people?' One opportunity that our family has found is through volunteering with the Phoenix Society because we believe in what the Phoenix Society is doing for the burn community."
"To whom much is given, much is expected," she concluded. "Our family was given the gift of David's life 10 years ago. One way that we can give back is to work with the Phoenix Society. We challenge you to get more involved in the opportunities, in the events and programs and we thank the Phoenix Society for this award." |
The 2009 Janet Harman Award was presented to the Bowers family of Ladoga, Indiana. The award is presented each year to recognize outstanding philanthropic or volunteer leadership in support of the Phoenix Society. Dave and Carly Bowers with their daughter, Samantha, and son, Nathan, accepted the 2009 award from Amy Acton, Phoenix Society executive director.