Don't cry for me: badly scarred by fire at a young age, Airman 1st Class Brandon Lee gets instant credibilty from other survivors at Camp Oo-U-La

Airman, Sept, 2004 by Tim Barela

Brandon Lee used to stand in front of a mirror, cover up the side of his face that was scarred the worst and try to imagine what he'd look like if he'd never been burned.

"I'd mentally fuse together the side of my face that had the least scarring to get an idea of what I'd look like [without the injury]," he said. "I had some self-esteem issues."

These were natural reactions for a young child trying to fit in with his peers. But there was no blending in for Brandon. He suffered disfiguring scars in a gasoline fire at age 4. People would stare--or try too hard to avert their eyes. And, yes, it could turn cruel ... like the time two boys at school said he looked like Freddy Krueger.

But don't pity Brandon Lee. To him, that would be the worst insult of all. He's moved on from his injuries. As an airman first class, he is thriving as an aircraft armament systems specialist with the 388th Equipment Maintenance Squadron at Hill Air Force Base, Utah. He works on fighter aircraft weapons release systems, such as rocket launchers and 20mm cannons on the multimillion dollar F-16 Fighting Falcon.

"Yes, there is life after being burned," Airman Lee said with a grin.

That's the message he takes with him to Camp Oo-U-La, an annual weeklong refuge at scenic Rock Eagle 4-H Campground in Eatonton, Ga., for young burn survivors to congregate, talk and just have fun. The 20-year-old Airman volunteers his time as a junior counselor at the camp, which he himself attended for nine summers as a kid.

"The camp made a difference in my life," Airman Lee said. "I wanted to help do the same for other young burn survivors."

The day he got burned

Brandon's story starts in Black, shear, Ga., where he was born and raised in a small country home five miles outside the city. The date was April 12, 1989 ... a date that Brandon remembers like most people remember their birthday. His dad, Bobby, was out of state, as he often was with his railroad job. His mum, Kathy, was in the kitchen making pizza with his 5-year-old sister Ashley. His brother, 10-year-old Robert, had gone outside to burn trash. As was often the case, 4-year-old Brandon followed his older brother as if attached by Velcro.

When Robert had trouble starting the fire, he headed to the barn. There he grabbed a bucket of gasoline his dad used to clean auto parts. He poured some of the gas on the trash, struck a match, and soon the fire roared.

Meanwhile, Brandon had picked up a stick and poked it into the fire. To his delight the end burned, just as he intended. When he decided to douse the flame at the end of his stick, he eyed the bucket of gasoline. To the 4 year old, it looked like a bucket of dirty water ... perfect for snuffing out the fire on his stick.

When Brandon stabbed the stick into the gasoline, the entire bucket went up in flames. Robert, in a panic to put out the fire, gabbed the bucket and threw it.

Directly in the path of the now airborne ball of gas and flame stood Brandon.

His agonizing screams sent his mother scrambling out of the house.

To say what she saw was a parent's worst nightmare would be an understatement. Her baby boy lay on the ground engulfed by flames at least a foot high.

"I was frantic," Kathy said. "I ran to Brandon and started ripping his clothes off."

She ignored the burns that were turning her hands into what would later look like roasted hot dogs. Brandon's gas-soaked sweater would only continue to re-ignite.

Once Kathy had his clothes off and the flames doused, the hellish scene didn't get any better. Brandon looked as if he had melted. Skin hung from his head, arms and torso, exposing muscle like raw meat. Coupled with his shrieks of agony, it was almost too much to endure.

Too hysterical to get behind the wheel of a car, Kathy had a neighbor drive them over the dirt roads to the Waycross hospital, about 15 minutes away. However, the small hospital wasn't equipped to handle burn injuries as severe as Brandon's. So they rushed him to the airport and flew him to Augusta Medical Center, where he spent the next 10 weeks undergoing major reconstructive surgery.

"Don't ask me how many surgeries he went through, because it was too many to count," Kathy said. "It was probably in the dozens."

A painful recovery

Thirty-two percent of Brandon's body suffered second-and third-degree burns. His chest, back, arms, hands and head all sustained severe burns. Doctors sliced layers of skin from Brandon's legs and put them on his arms, back and chest to get the skin to grow back and to use the layers as a protective covering against infection. They used pig skin on him for this same purpose.

Brandon's right ear was so badly damaged, doctors decided to cut it off to avoid infection. The flames also left him totally bald on the back of his head. Doctors contemplated amputating three fingers on his right hand. But in the end, they decided there was a decent chance they could restore them.

Thankfully, because of the drugs and being so young, Brandon doesn't remember all the suffering he went through.