Young man becomes a “living torch” because of smoking while filling up gas, having to undergo more than 20 surgeries

(Dan Tri) - An accident caused by smoking while filling up with gasoline left a young man with severe burns all over his body. Over the course of 14 years, the patient had to undergo more than 20 surgeries, accepting the risk of his life in the hope of regaining his life.

Over 14 years, he underwent more than 20 surgeries to escape his precarious existence.

“At one point, the doctor told me that surgery would be life-threatening because the intervention site was too close to my heart. I begged the doctor to go ahead, because if I didn't, I would be living a miserable life…,” Mr. V. (29 years old, residing in Khanh Hoa ) recalled one of his life-or-death surgeries, while preparing to begin a new course of treatment.

In 2010, tragedy struck the young man, who was just a teenager at the time. V. recounted that the pesticide sprayer in his house ran out of fuel, so he used his spare tank to refuel as usual while smoking.

The young man suffered severe burns from gasoline and is awaiting treatment at Hospital 1A (Photo: Hospital).

Unexpectedly, the cigarette ignited the fuel tank while he was refueling, causing the young man to panic. In an instant, his entire body became a "living torch," and the victim quickly lost consciousness.

When he woke up, he found himself in the intensive care unit of a tertiary hospital in Ho Chi Minh City, suffering from severe burns. After about two months of treatment with complex surgeries, V. recovered from his critical condition and was discharged from the hospital.

But the price to pay was too high, with hospital bills amounting to hundreds of millions of dong, along with a disfigured body covered in scars, and the skin on both arms contracting and sticking together, making it impossible to do anything, even eating and drinking difficult.

The patient's spirits were severely low at that time, as they thought they would be disabled and a burden to their family for the rest of their lives.

The gasoline burn accident left the young man's body severely disfigured (Photo: Hospital).

During a follow-up visit in 2011, the young man was informed by another patient's family about a humanitarian surgical project at the Ho Chi Minh City Orthopedic and Rehabilitation Hospital (Hospital 1A), carried out by a team of domestic doctors in collaboration with international experts.

Not wanting to miss the glimmer of hope for survival, a few days later, V. and his family quickly took a bus to Hospital 1A to register. There, he and dozens of other cases were fortunate enough to be selected for free surgery and treatment.

Dr. Ngo Anh Tuan, acting director of Hospital 1A, recalled that when they received the case, the patient had very severe burn scarring, with the skin on both armpits and the neck area tightly adhered, making daily activities very difficult, and even preventing the patient from lifting their head.

He and his medical team performed surgery to remove tissue and graft skin from the patient's armpit, followed by weeks of physical therapy for muscle relaxation and rehabilitation. All of the patient's treatment costs were covered.

After undergoing more than 20 surgeries, the patient's motor function gradually improved (Photo: Hospital).

“I remember the first few surgeries; whenever the patient came out at night, many people were frightened and mistook him for a ‘ghost’ because his body was so severely disfigured. Gradually, whenever there was a surgery program, he would regularly come for operation, and it was all free.”

To date, the patient has undergone more than 20 surgeries, with each treatment lasting an average of 3 weeks. Through 14 years of perseverance, V. has gradually recovered her motor function, able to lift her head, open her mouth, and extend both arms well.

What I appreciate most is his unwavering trust in the doctors and medical staff, even when we advised him that the wound was complex, tightly adhered in dangerous locations, and surgery could be life-threatening.

"But the patient was still determined to undergo surgery to reclaim his life," Dr. Tuan confided.

The patient's condition is assessed by doctors before the next surgery (Photo: Hospital).

The project offers hope for life to over 400 patients.

During this intervention, V. said that doctors advised him to undergo further surgery to remove excess skin from his left armpit, so that he could open his arm and raise it higher. No longer feeling "useless" as he had previously thought, the young man has been able to help his family by working as a delivery driver over the years.

He shared with joy that he owes his success today to the kindness of doctors and medical staff who prioritized supporting him in many humanitarian surgical projects.

"From the bottom of my heart, I would like to thank Hospital 1A and the international experts for giving me the chance to reclaim my life. I hope other patients like me will remain steadfast and always hope for a day of recovery," the 29-year-old man expressed.

Mr. V. is one of the participants in the Surgicorp International Vietnam 2025 humanitarian surgery project, carried out by the medical team of Hospital 1A in collaboration with international experts from Surgicorp International.

Dozens of patients will have the opportunity to reconstruct their bodies and restore their functions through the Surgicorp International Vietnam 2025 project (Photo: Hospital).

According to the plan, approximately 70 patients (out of 150 screened cases) will receive surgical support between October 27th and October 31st. After surgery, they will have a follow-up appointment on November 4th to monitor results and receive rehabilitation treatment.

The program aims to provide opportunities for physical reconstruction, functional restoration, and smile restoration for individuals with contracture burn scars, cleft lip, cleft palate, limb deformities, etc., who are in difficult circumstances, so that they can improve their quality of life and integrate into the community.

Since 2018, the project has supported surgery and treatment for a total of over 400 patients.

Source: https://dantri.com.vn/suc-khoe/chang-trai-hoa-ngon-duoc-song-vi-hut-thuoc-khi-do-xang-di-mo-hon-20-lan-20251027134013955.htm