Story and Images by Mario Banuelos

COANIQUEM, which is short for Corporación de Ayuda al Niño Quemado( or Corporation to Aid Burned Children) was founded in 1979 by Dr. Jorge Rojas Zegers. In Chile each year, more than 80,000 children suffer burn injuries, most of them under 5 years old. At the time of COANIQUEM’ s founding, hospitals in Chile were not equipped to handle the specialized treatment and long-term care needed to ensure that children could survive long-term following severe burn injuries. Over the past forty-six years, COANIQUEM has grown from a small office in the Pudahuel neighborhood of Santiago to a network of four treatment centers spread throughout the country. COANIQUEM has pioneered a holistic approach to treatment including medical care, psychological support, and family resources. Each facility also has on-site dormitories for families, dedicated caregivers, teachers and classrooms so that children can continue their education during the often-lengthy treatment process. Services are provided at no cost to the families. COANIQUEM also provides education and training to doctors from around the world and supports prevention efforts to reduce the number of burn victims.

In 1994, COANIQUEM opened its doors to children from throughout Latin America. In 1998, Dr. Rojas formed the COANIQUEM Burned Children’ s Foundation in the United States to support COANIQUEM’ s international efforts. In 2005, the Rotary Club of Morgan Hill began supporting the Burned Children’ s Foundation,

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