1. International
Women’s and Children’s
Burn Foundation
THE MISSION of the International Women’s and Children’s Burn
Foundation (IWCBF) a 501 C-3 organization, is to help establish
comprehensive burn rehabilitation centers and to educate the local medical
professionals in developing countries to help improve the physical and
psychological conditions and outcomes following burn injuries.
The foundation has made 70 volunteer medical mission trips to 26
countries since 1994.
To date we have established 7 international burn clinics in 7
countries, and helped open 3 pediatric hospitals. The IWCBF is sensitive to
and respects all cultures, religions, and is non-political. This philosophy
deeply influences the manner in which we conduct ourselves as
ambassadors.
THE VISION of the IWCBF sees a world in which no human being
suffers physically or emotionally from a preventable or repairable burn

2. deformity or injury. To achieve that vision, IWCBF partners with
volunteers, other organizations, and oversees medical colleagues to
educate and empower local communities so that medical care is available
high quality clinical outcomes to achieve.
The burn care program was conceived by Dr. Charles Horton,
founder of Physicians for Peace, following a visit to Nicaragua in 1992.
1994 Dr. Horton, founder of Physicians For Peace, invited Dr. Wilcox
Ruffin and Richard Sieller, PT, CHT, to investigate the burn epidemic. The
team traveled to Managua and Leon, Nicaragua. This first mission was to
advance medical expertise in the management of burn care and to upgrade
patient care. The fabrication and use of elastic pressure garments was
carried out in a very primitive space in the public hospital Fernando Velez
Paiz. Later, this was moved to a burn unit, furnished and staffed by
Association Pro-Nino’s Quemados de Nicaragua (Aproquen), a volunteer
organization headed by Sra. Vivian Pellas, a burn survivor, who has
dedicated her life and resources to the care of burn victims—especially
children. With partners like Sra. Pellas, IWCBF has been able to help

3. establish and support burn clinics in Central America, the Caribbean, the
Middle East, and Asia.
2000 A team consisting of Dr. David Young (retired orthopedic
surgeon), Richard Sieller, PT, CHT, and Ronald Hopkins, CP (prosthetist)
launches a Walking Free prosthetic program in Diyarbakir, Turkey through
Physicians For Peace for land mine victims partnering with Dr. Namak
Baran (Professor and Chief of the Department of Plastic and Reconstructive
Surgery at Yeditepe University of Istanbul, Turkey.)
2001 The grand opening of the Prosthesis Center at Dicle University
in Diyarbakir, Turkey was celebrated. This unit is staffed by Turkish
medical professionals. The center provides amputee treatment and
rehabilitation for Southeastern Turkey. Physicians for Peace received the
largest award in its history from the Ronald McDonald House Charities to
create the children’s department of a sustainable prosthetic center.
2002 IWCBF founder and president, Rick Sieller, PT, CHT,
establishes first international comprehensive burn rehabilitation center,
partnering with Aproquen and Physicians for Peace. No “like” clinic even
exists in the US.

4. 2003 IWCBF establishes second comprehensive burn rehabilitation
clinic in Santa Domingo, Dominican Republic partnering with Dr. Carlos
De Los Santos and Pearl Ort burn unit. Additional plans were discussed to
open a second clinic in Santiago, Dominican Republic with a local
organization, “Jesus for the Children” at the Thelma Rosario Pediatric Burn
Hospital which opened this year.
Bachelor of Science degree program was started in partnership with
the Dominican Rehabilitation Association (DRA) and Physicians for Peace.
2004 IWCBF establishes third comprehensive burn rehabilitation
program in Guatemala City, Guatemala partnering with Dra. Lourdes
Santiso, chief of pediatric plastic surgery at Nino Sano and Hospital
Roosevelt. Patronato—organization of medical/businessmen in
Guatemala. A local physician organization (Patronato) supported the
center through administrative oversight and financial assistance.
2005 IWCBF establishes fourth comprehensive burn rehabilitation
program(s) in Ramallah and Nablus, Palestine through partnerships with
Dr. Eid Mustapha, plastic surgeon from Texas.

5. Aproquen opens new hospital Metropolitano Vivian Pellas to
provide comprehensive pediatric burn treatment.
2006 The Central American and Caribbean Association for the
Prevention and Treatment of Children with Burns (the “Burn Consortium”)
is launched. The consortium is an eight country alliance of the following:
Costa Rico, Dominican Republic, Santo Domingo, El Salvador, Guatemala,
Honduras, Nicaragua, Panama, and the United States.
2008 IWCBF establishes fifth comprehensive burn rehabilitation
clinic in Panama City, Panama in the pediatric hospital.
2009 IWCBF President Sieller lectured in Managua, Nicaragua before
the International Burn Conference. Established IWCBF database which is
utilized in Sri Lanka and Nicaragua. Pediatric Burn Hospital opens in San
Salvador, El Salvador through a public-private partnership.
2014 Bolivia fact finding Mission Trip.
2010 IWCBF establishes sixth comprehensive burn rehabilitation
center in Tegucigalpa, Honduras with Mr. Ramon Sanchez and partner
organization Crisaq.

6. 2011 IWCBF establishes seventh comprehensive rehabilitation center
in Colombo, Sri Lanka at the National Hospital with partner, Dra. Chandini
Perera and U.S. partner Resurge.
2012 Ten year anniversary celebration of Nicaragua burn
rehabilitation center.
2013 IWCBF President Sieller lectured at the International Society of
Burn Injuries (ISBI), Edinburgh, Scotland. IWCBF became member of ISBI
rehabilitation committee and the ISBI database committee.
2014 Guatemala celebrates ten years of comprehensive rehabilitation
center with one year anniversary of a dedicated burn rehabilitation center
which was created through public-private and government partnerships.