Healing through trauma: Special bonds formed at annual burn survivor camp

FRESNO COUNTY, Calif. (KFSN) -- Champ Camp is backmost for the 39th year, hosted by the Alisa Ann Ruch Burn Foundation.

"It made maine consciousness very, similar not alone, similar I wasn't the lone 1 successful that benignant of situation," said pain subsister and campy attendee, Julian Reynoso.

It's 15-year-old Julian Reynoso's 4th clip coming to the campy successful Wonder Valley. He says it helps him flooded the trauma he's experienced.

"I was burned by a car accident; a DUI operator deed my car, our car, the household car," said Reynoso.

His 2 younger sisters and begetter did not past the crash.

Now. done different survivors - he's healing.

It was astatine past year's chili cook-off, helium made a transportation that helped alteration his life.

"Initially, Julian, had a large involvement successful music, but helium didn't deliberation helium could play thing due to the fact that his hands were damaged and Freddy was holding his hands and said good you tin beryllium a drummer and helium conscionable lit up," said pain subsister and retired Fresno City firefighter, Pete Dern.

Julian and Pete Dern, known arsenic "Cobra," his campy name, person a peculiar counselor-to-camper relationship.

Dern, a Retired Fresno occurrence captain, fell done a extortion successful 2015 portion connected the job, and they some damaged their hands successful a fire.

Through their enslaved and different retired firefighter, helium started to consciousness the beat.

"He yet hooked maine up with a drum acceptable and immoderate drum lessons arsenic well," said Reynoso.

Fred Martinez and others are present hosting "Drums 4 Julian" fundraisers.

Dern says that since past year, he's noticed Julian is present a caller man.

"Julian started drumming, and he's successful a set now; helium has friends astatine schoolhouse present from drumming, and I consciousness similar conscionable getting into euphony has truly fixed him a batch of confidence," said Dern.

The week-long campy and the chili cook-off bring joyousness and reassurance to astir each the campers and volunteers - bonds that volition ne'er beryllium broken.

"Me and Cobra's transportation volition past forever," said Reynoso.

The Burn Foundation says done this experience, they've learned that Julian is not the lone subsister with an involvement successful music.

They've created a donation page to enactment drum lessons for Julian and kids who besides privation to play instruments.

For quality updates, travel Brianna Willis connected Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.