Copeland Family Fire

Whitney (8:25pm EST, Thursday 11/10/2022) Compression garments are hand washed and hung to dry…this is part of our nightly routine. (Masks and leg compression missing from picture) We’ve been blessed to have 2 sets each, while one is drying, the other is being worn. For the most part the kids are adjusting well with the compression but it has been one of the hardest parts of adapting at home. It is claustrophobic and doesn’t allow for much movement. We opted for silicone lined, they help the most with hypertrophic scarring. The kids are supposed to wear them for 23 hours a day. The one hour is left over to bath, dry, and then re-apply lotion, and don a clean pair.  We have to put a pretty thick amount of lotion on every night. We go through a tub and a half of Cerave once a week.  Putting both Pepper and Krew’s compression on takes about an hour combined. It can be so exhausting, and we (both the person putting them on and the person wearing) are usually sweating by the end. We have no

Whitney (5pm PST, Tuesday 9/6/22) We hit our 8 month mark last week. We have been running around from hospitals and therapies and doctors offices the entire 8 months. We decided we had a small window where we could take a break and breath for a bit.  With financial help from a new friend, we are embarking on our first adventure after the accident. We are flying to Bozeman, MT and visiting Yellowstone tomorrow.  The giggles and insomnia were full force. The kids packed their own bags and had them in the van last night. We were up earlier than usual. I woke to little Krew right in my face. “Mom, it’s morning time, let’s go on the plane!”  Once in the airport it was so clear to me that although our lives have changed, we are so ready for what this life has to offer. We are so ready to live and play and enjoy our family.  We were made for adventure and for exploring. We are not done yet.

Whitney (5:22pm PST, Friday 8/19/22) These pictures were taken 5 months apart. The one on the left was taken in the hospital. It is Pepper’s left hand, the first time we saw it after she had it fully grafted. I remember it being like Christmas, counting down the days until they unwrapped it. If this picture is difficult to look at, please know I’m very choosy on pictures I post and leave the “scary” ones out.  It was one of the best days in the hospital. Seeing her whole hand covered in fresh skin with a 95% graft take. We laughed about how her fingernails looked like something from a fairytale like witch story. The moment they gave us the thumbs up we did a manicure, and that cheered her up a bit.  The one on the right is her left hand today. It is so smooth and function-able. She will need another surgery in the near future to release her pointer finger and pinky.  Her right hand had a release surgery a week ago and has been in a cast ever since. The Doctor will unwrap it on Monday,

Whitney (12:40pm PST, Thursday 8/11/22) This gal has surgery #45 tomorrow! She will have several z-plasties (z shaped incisions) to release the thickening scars on her face. She will also have a release done on her right hand, which is contracting at a very fast pace.  Many of you are asking, what a release is. It is a release done on the thickening scars, that are contracting everyday. They contract to the point that over joints, and burned areas no longer can fully function. A graft (a piece of skin) is taken from a healthy area on the body and put in place to the injured part, allowing the joints and parts of the body to function again.  Pepper’s right hand is no longer able to do certain things. It is very painful if bumped or stretched. She is nervous but looking forward to having a functioning hand again. This is a big weekend for the Copeland family. Krew is still in the OR. It’s been 5 hours.

Whitney (10:34 PST, Wednesday 8/10/22) These two have surgery tomorrow morning. They both have expressed a bit of nervousness, but we know these surgeries will only continue our recovery. Krew will go first. Surgery #15. He will have a release on his right hand/fingers allowing his fingers to straighten and improve hand dexterity. He will have a “club” aka cast in place for 2 weeks. Krew will also have work done on the right side of his face. His right ear and jaw will be released. Along with his right eye. His eye will be sewn shut for 5 days.  Kyle will go next. Surgery #6. His eyes have contracted again, making it very difficult to be in light of any kind. His eyes water almost constantly and are extremely red and irritated. Kyle will have a release on both eyes and have both eyes sewn shut for 5 days also.  We have a different sister flying in to help for the weekend. We feel beyond blessed and spoiled for this commitment as we know it is challenging for our caregivers to put their

Whitney (1:39pm PST, Monday 8/8/22) We are doing our best to get into somewhat of a routine. I was standing in a Target all by myself at 9pm one night after tucking the kids in and I found my self on the office supply aisle. I was staring at the whiteboards trying to decide which would best assist me with my attempt to organize a shattered life. I started bawling. First out of overwhelm, wondering what the heck are you trying to do? I had no idea where to start, and started questioning my abilities. Then the shift. Gratitude poured in, through me. Here I was standing in a Target with the opportunity to plan and schedule for my family, as a whole. I was so taken with gratitude I started to cry even harder. Kyle got them out. I am forever grateful for the ability and opportunity to schedule appointments, meals and entertainment for our sweet kiddos. I keep having little moments like these and they take me by surprise and catch me when I least expect it. I walked out that night with a $10

Whitney (9:00 AM PST, Monday, 7/17/22) Laser treatments this morning. As we were getting ready to leave a very confused Emree asked, “Where are you going in the middle of the night?!” The laser treatments help to break up scar tissue and help with the itching and nerve pain associated with burns. This is Krew’s 3rd treatment, Pepper’s 1st.  Praying for naps later today.

Whitney (7:50 am PST, Tuesday July 5, 2022) The night before the 4th as I was tucking Pepper in she cried. “I just want to be a normal kid. I want to go to a parade and be outside. I miss the sun.” We chatted about and contemplated a few things. Sadness and disappoint are important feelings. They are real and demand to be felt. We try to acknowledge them, feel them and pin point where the feeling is coming from. As soon as we can do those three steps we are free. Free to move on from that feeling and find a new one that we choose. I encouraged her not to rush the process.  You can bet it didn’t take her long. We came up with an idea. That idea was night swimming with glow sticks. We talked about how this is temporary (being out of the sun) and maybe next year will bring different circumstances!  Night swimming turned out to be more fun than we thought. The fireworks were on both sides of the pool and so fun to watch! So grateful for a neighbor letting us borrow their pool.  I may not h

 Whitney (8:20 am PST, Sunday 6/26/22) Krew got a new compression mask this week, with silicone in it. It is tight and he is not able to move much in it, even open his mouth to eat. The silicone really assists with flattening the scars and helps with itching. We have to smear cream all over the scars just to get the siliconed garments onto his scars. Since it is new we are easing our way into wearing it the prescribed 23 hours a day. He switches out with his red mask without the silicone to give him breaks. Making my kids wear the garments and their splints might be the biggest challenge right now. They beg to not have them on. Kyle and I know the importance of these tools and we continue to get them on him and Pepper as much as possible. One day they won’t have to wear them anymore, but for now bribery is used on the daily.

Whitney (11:13 am PST, Saturday 6/25/22) Pepper was measured for compression garments this week. She will have a full body suit, broken up into pieces to allow easier bathroom breaks. We have seen a huge difference already with Krew’s, so we are anticipating great things. We love the gal who has done all the measurements for our whole family.

Whitney (9:30 am PST, Saturday 6/18/22) Chick-fil-a run in between appointments. It was fun to slow down for a minute.  While there, a very wealthy young man, dressed in a cool suit and sunglasses in his late 20’s I’d guess pulled up in a cool car, with his music blasting. He was in line behind us. As my kids were bouncing around excited to order their meal rattling off the precise orders they wanted, some not caring what they got at all. He watched and listened. When we got to the beginning of the line and rattled off the orders he patiently waited. When we had first arrived I offered that he go ahead of us because I knew we were going to take much longer than him. He just smiled and let us go ahead. That man paid for our order. It was a very generous offer as he stated “your family is absolutely beautiful I’d be so happy to pay for your meal, would you let me?” I obliged and was so grateful. I let him know that Kade’s jaw dropped open when he saw his car and he thought it was pretty

Whitney (8:00 AM PST, Thursday, 6/16/22) We enjoyed a beautiful buffet dinner last night. We were invited to join a group of burn survivors and it was so nice meeting new friends and enjoying an outing.  Krew really connected with a new friend that has been through so much with his burns. He was so gentle and kind with Krew who in true boy fashion wanted to show off all his scars. Krew started off very uncomfortable and a bit scared around him and visually struggled seeing him with his scars and missing limbs. By the end of the night Krew left the restaurant giving him a big bear hug.  Pepper really enjoyed sitting by dad and it was the first time she was independent in public. It was so nice to see her go up and get her own food and enjoy casual conversation with other adults. She’s a light and I’m so excited to watch her shine!  Thank you @myscarsarebeautiful

Whitney (11:21 am PST, Monday 6/13/22) After 158 days, 42 surgeries and countless procedures in the Pediatric ICU, Pepper was finally discharged last Saturday. It was an exciting morning when Pepper woke up feeling better than she had in a few weeks. She specifically asked the Dr, “Can I go home today?” He was so happy to tell her Yes!  It was a lot like bringing a new born baby home from the hospital for the first time. Overjoyed, proud, excited, and a bit nervous. I drove that minivan with both hands on the wheel and laser focus. We were bringing our girl home.  She is different physically, emotionally, and mentally. We keep seeing glimpses of Pepper before the accident, but I think she will be changed forever in some ways. But with most change I’ve learned, the possibilities for an outcome are endless.  It took me a few days to really let it sink in. When it finally hit me Friday night that she was home for good and we were all under the same roof again, I cried hard. In a way I was

Whitney (4:20 pm PST, Wednesday 6/8/22) Pepper is home!! Bigger update to come. We are overjoyed. 🥰

Whitney (10:40am PST, Wednesday, June 1, 2022) We had a Harry Potter farewell party for Pepper the other day at the hospital. Yes. You heard right! Pepper will be leaving the hospital in the next couple of weeks. We don’t have an exact date yet. Just a couple more boxes to check and she will be free!!  It was so good to see her smile. Her brother had her laughing so hard!! We ate popcorn, chocolate frogs and whoever dared at the every flavored jelly beans. I stopped after eating a rotten egg one! Our biggest challenge is getting a good medication schedule down. Her donor site has been so painful the last few days. We are hoping to get it settled and figured out in the upcoming days.

Whitney (11:07am PST, Friday 5/27/22) Eye check up for the boys! The Dr. was surprised at how well Krew’s eyes look after such trauma. Prescribed an ointment at night to keep his eyes lubricated until his upcoming eye surgery is scheduled. It will help with any redness & dryness.  Kyle’s eye site is looking about the same. Good in the right eye, ok in the left. There is a lot of scar tissue in his left eye, that most likely will never go away. The best news is the surgery has significantly reduced the watering and sensitivity he was experiencing. He is able to open his eyes during the day a lot more now! Still not driving or going into the sunlight much. He will continue steroids in both eyes.  Second round of Laser this morning. Making that Surgery #12 for Krew. He’s in recovery now. He was a crazy boy this morning in the pre-op making all the nurses giggle and smile!

Whitney (4:25 pm PST, Tuesday, 5/24/22) The anticipation of Pepper’s dressing change this morning was very similar to that of Christmas Eve.  Before the beginning of her dressing change I uttered a simple but direct prayer. I didn’t need to hear the Dr. say it. Once I saw with my own eyes I knew, our prayers had been answered. The grafts look amazing! All the grafts have taken up to this point. They all are adhering well and look healthy. The next few days are crucial. Pepper will have sedated dressing changes everyday for the rest of the week.  All 4 antibiotics have been discontinued at this point. Her appetite is slowly returning. She has no restrictions when it comes to getting up and stretching with occupational therapy. No more bed rest!!  On top of all of this, Pepper received a author signed copy to her favorite book series last night. Keeper of the lost cities. It was amazing to see her face light up! @shannonmessanger Thank you for your special thoughts and heartfelt prayers.

Whitney (3:00 PM PST, Tuesday, 5/24/22) Krew did fantastic getting his cast off! “Ew I have a stinky arm”. Haha  He was a bit disappointed when they took it off and he couldn’t move his fingers right away. He was concerned that his fingers were broken, “I can’t grab things”. We cried a little, but by the end of the night he was in the tub moving about.  Dressing changes on his left wrist 2x/day for the next week or so. Until the graft site heals.  Krew is scheduled for Laser surgery #2 on Friday. It is same day and he will be in and out in about an hour. The laser treatments help with scarring and reduce itching and pain.  They will be doing both arms and right hand.  He will have another release done (same as left) on his right hand and one of his eyes sometime in June. He is doing well.

 Whitney (7:23 am PST, Friday, 5/20/22) Surgery #41 in the books yesterday morning. The Dr. was very pleased with how everything is looking. Cadaver skin was placed on all open areas on Sunday. Bacteria counts are down. We have a window.  This morning Pepper will have all open areas covered with her own skin, again. The 3 antibiotics she has been on for 10 days will continue this week to keep the bacteria away.  The resident (working with the burn team) found me in the cafeteria and said, we are rooting for Pepper. We are all going to be in there listening to “This is what we came for” (Calvin Harris) on repeat until the surgery is done. This made my heart happy.  Please join our family in lifting up extra prayers for Pepper this morning.

Whitney (2:20 pm PST, Friday, 5/13/22) Our sweet girl. We have had a glimpse of her in the last couple of weeks. She was free from intense pain, off all her opioids, regaining strength, surgeries were a week apart (or more) and she’s really been looking so forward to the future, even making plans on how to decorate her room.  Then the damn phone rang. I am very much in the loop of all of her care, sometimes I even get to share my opinion with the drs. They humor me. The voice that came over the line was filled with sadness and disappointment. “The bacteria is back, and it’s not looking great”. We decided to hit it hard and fast. 2 antibiotics through the IV, administered slowly for a longer window of coverage. New topical antibiotics for both bacterial and fungal infections. Surgery every other day with bedside changes being done in between.  Pepper has been crabby. She has been in so much pain lately. She has been claustrophobic in her dressings, causing her bouts of anxiety. The anti

Whitney (8:37am PST, Thursday 5/12/22) Krew did amazing during his 12th surgery that lasted 6 hours. We think he is so incredible!  The Plastic surgeon ended up doing more work than originally anticipated. What started out to be just a chin and mouth release turned into a full release on almost his whole face. We are so happy with the results! Krew was having difficulty breathing, we were having to put something we found on Amazon up his nose, it’s a snoring device that holds the nostrils open. He no longer needs them, he can breathe great on his own but we will continue to use them for precaution.  He also was having difficulty opening his mouth. His speech is better, his smile is back, and he can now take larger bites. It got to the point that he was only drinking smoothies because eating was very difficult, and more like a chore.  The plastic surgeon mentioned yesterday at his follow up appointment that if we had waited a little longer maybe even two weeks, it could have been a much

Whitney (6:30 am PST, Friday, 5/6/22) Krew and Dad are heading to surgery.  Krew is getting a “release” on his left hand and chin, which will help him regain most of his range of motion in his left wrist and help his mouth open wider, it’s currently very small… a starburst is about the biggest bite his mouth can handle. Getting his hands working properly is a priority and today’s surgery will be a leap forward in getting his hands firmly on the path of rehabilitation. Kyle is getting eyelid surgery for both eyes, which will include grafts and release incisions around each eyelid. His eyelids will be sewn shut for 5 days to allow the grafts to take and heal properly. Currently, his eyes never shut fully and they water constantly. Prayers appreciated busy upcoming weekend. We are so grateful for family members that are here to help. Here they both are, patiently waiting in pre-op. 

Whitney (12:00pm PST, Wednesday, 5/4/22) Krew graduated PT! After being discharged from the hospital, Krew was not interested in being independent much at all. He struggled to walk and hated standing up. After about 8 weeks of PT he’s now running, wrestling, and jumping on everything. He’s checked all the boxes for PT. He will continue with Occupational therapy (hands).

Whitney (8:27am PST, Tuesday, 5/3/22) Pepper, living her best life!  She’s doing well, the doctors are very happy with where her wounds are at. The shower last week revealed about 75% of the grafts took from her last big surgery. Leaving her with only 3% of her body with remaining burns.  She is walking without a walker, and going outside to “warm” up. She is loving sitting up in what the nurses call the Cadillac chair. It has a tray that she can eat on, color on, allowing her hands to be working on something almost all the time!  Morning shower or dressing change every morning this week to watch her wounds daily. If it’s too dry she’ll go to the shower room, if it’s too wet she does a dressing change at the bed. Every day the doctor comes in and checks and decides what the next morning will bring. Sedation still proves to be difficult to recover from, but by 1pm every day she’s doing pretty good.

Whitney (7:40am PST, Friday, 4/29/22) Little Krew man is off to surgery #11. He is starting a series of laser treatments to hopefully break down some of the thick scarring that can occur with pediatric burns. Kids heal much faster than adults, but then don’t “stop” healing causing the scars to thicken.  We left our home at 5am. Krew asked, “why does this Dr. want to see me in the dark?” He was very pleasant this morning. Getting even more people to adore him.  The Dr. said not to expect much visual change until 3-4 rounds of the treatment. This treatment will also help to reduce pain and itching. Krew wakes up most nights crying that he’s so itchy. This is after layers of lotion and anti-itching medication.  These treatments aren’t covered by surgery, because they are “cosmetic”. I just can’t tell you how unfortunate that is.  Todays treatment will be on his shoulders and forearms stopping at the wrist. Depending on how well it goes on his arms will determine if we start treatments on

Whitney (9:30am PST, Thursday, 4/28/22) Both eyes are open and the graft on her forehead is looking great! We are so happy with how it turned out. The week of bedrest proved to be challenging for Pepper. Her spirits were a little low and she was feeling a bit sad this week. But as soon as she was able to get back up she was back at it! We had a lovely conversation last night about body image and some of the changes she will be experiencing. She is very accepting, and she knows I mean really knows beauty comes from within. She is just wise beyond her years! We are headed into the shower this morning, we would love any last minute good vibes and prayers for Pepper. They will be taking off everything on her body to see how the grafts took and make sure there’s no infection.

Whitney Copeland (8:15am PST, Tuesday, 4/26/22) We are continually bombarded by helping hands, happy smiles, encouraging words and open hearts. It’s sometimes so overwhelming. But in the best way. Like a full to the brim after thanksgiving dinner feeling. So I’m needing to open up and publicly share my thanks. Our thanks. Some of these won’t make since you any of you, but writing them down will help me to never forget the cherished moments I’ve shared with other humans. Most complete strangers. This long list is a summary of all the people who have loved on us.  To the ER Dr. who held my face in his hands and told me to prepare myself before I saw my hurt family members in the ER in St. George. He put his arm around me and walked to each room from bedside to bedside with me. I don’t know your name. But I love you.  To the beautiful life flight woman who re-assured me that Pepper was her entire world for the next 2 hours that she was going to be life flighted to UMC. I believed you. And

Whitney (12:19pm PST, Friday, 4/22/22) Pepper is doing well! The surgery was so long, it lasted 6.5 hours. She had 2 doctors working on her at once. The eye brow release surgery was done to her right eye. It will be sewn shut for 5 days (Tuesday). Her forehead was grafted and had a bolster to hold the graft on also for 5 days.  Her chest/neck area has been grafted along with her left shoulder and upper arm. She also had a small area on her right hip that was grafted. The area on her legs was too deep as anticipated. Integra (derived from shark cartilage) was placed on both areas on the shin. It is an integrative skin substitute and the hope is it will allow the skin to fill in and heal on its own. Her back was sprayed with re-cell. Essentially, her own skin in a spray can.  All of the grafts were meticulously sewn on. In the past they have been stapled. The Dr. That was on yesterday wanted to sew them this time to ensure the grafts success.   Pepper won’t have a sedated dressing change

Whitney (6:47pm PST, Wednesday 4/20/22) Surgery #35 tomorrow.  Plastics: graft to her forehead, cheek and an eyebrow release surgery. The reverse of the one she’s already had, to the top eyelid, (same Kyle will have on May 6th). As of right now planned for right eye, but we are staying open to the possibility that it may be both. They will decide during surgery. We try to learn from our past. Burn: all cadaver skin will come off. From what we saw during the shower today, her right chest/neck and left shoulder look ready to graft. The legs need more time to fill in the deep wounds that were left when the infection was cut out. Most likely a skin substitute will be added to the legs tomorrow, grafts when ready.  Tonight we watch The Man from Snowy River and eat root beer floats!

Addey Kerr (Pepper's aunt, 10:00am MST, Easter Sunday, 4/17/22) A few weeks ago, I sat at my kitchen table finishing some homework. As I finished my assignments I began to scroll through my google photos. The pictures first made me laugh and then I came across one that made my heart hurt and I felt emotions stir inside of me. I do not feel anger often but that's what I identified this feeling as. It filled my chest with lots of pressure and tears began to fill my eyes. It was a beautiful photograph of me and my sweet niece Pepper. It had been taken about a year ago and I felt this anger because it took me a minute to recognize her as my Pepper. I hated that I recognized her face covered in scars and open wounds more than I did without now. I didn’t even know who I was angry with as I sat and sobbed. I wasn’t mad at God or at anyone in particular I was just mad that this was our situation. In my frustration and through my tears, I began to pray. I asked God why, why this happene

 Whitney (6:28pm PST, Sunday, 4/17/22) Reunited after 111 days of being apart. Happy Easter! We feel so blessed.

Whitney (10:39pm PST, Tuesday 4/12/22) More bacteria. More scrubbing. More antibiotics. More debridement. More pain. More set backs. Pepper continues to push forward.  The burn team is wanting to stay ahead of the bacteria. The grafts that are on her body are fragile, and the bacteria can go from the inside and work it’s way to the surface. Making the current grafts on her body at risk. We are in graft survival mode. Pepper will have a shower, surgery, or sedated dressing change everyday for about a week. At this point she has less than 5% of area to cover.  We are doing our best to keep her spirits up and keep her moving. Surgery and shower days are the hardest, it takes a few hours to get her warmed back up, comfortable, and weaned off of the anesthesia, which can make her very emotional. Her appetite is still good, and we still take daily orders and enjoy hearing what she’s craving.  More time. More memories. More movies. More reading. More cuddle time. More of Pepper. We’re so ble