Seven years ago, Charlotte Freeman’s life changed forever.
The former Hope resident went to turn off her stove-top element when her pyjamas caught fire. Unable to douse the flames with water due to the chemical in the fabric of her clothes, she ran out side and jumped in the snow.
Freeman was rushed to Vancouver General Hospital where she was put into a coma, as 40 per cent of her body was burned.
“I was in the hospital, in total, maybe six weeks,” she said. “When you first wake up you don’t realize (how bad it is), I thought I could just get up and walk, but I couldn’t.”
An avid roller derby player, Freeman thought she would be back with her team in no time.
“That only happened a year later, so it took a while to set in,” Freeman explained.
The Burn Fund paid for her compression suits, and hoods, and she was provided with burn support meetings in Vancouver.
The British Columbia Professional Firefighters’ Burn Fund raises money for various activities to support and educate burn survivors.
Gayanne Pacholzuk, a Kelowna fire prevention officer, says the Burn Fund is 40-years-old this year, and there are close to 4,000 fire-fighters across B.C. and the Yukon who are a part of the organization.
“Everyone volunteers their time and does fundraisers in their own community, but with Heroes Lottery, it is one of our biggest fundraisers and it can support all the different actives we do and the buildings we support, like the Burn Centre,” said Pacholzuk.
The money raised from the Hometown Heroes Lottery supports VGH, UBC Hospital, GF Strong Rehab Centre, Vancouver Coastal Health Research Institute and Vancouver Community Health Services.
The winner of the Hometown Heroes Lottery can choose one of seven grand prize packages. They can choose a home located in Ocean Park or Crescent Heights in South Surrey, Vancouver (False Creek), Lake Country, SookePoint (Vancouver Island), and Penticton, or take $2.1 million tax-free cash. The largest grand prize package is worth more than $2.6 million.
Hometown Heroes lottery ticket prices are: three-packs for $75, six-packs for $100, and 20-packs for $275.
Ticket sales for the 2018 Hometown Heroes Lottery run until Thursday, July 12.
To purchase a ticket click here or by phone, 604-648-4376.
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