In 2016, then nine-year-old Kaprice was playing outside with his two brothers when he was hit by a speeding car. “He was dragged down the street,” Kaprice’s mother Krista tearfully remembers. Suffering severe burns from road rash and other critical injuries, Kaprice was on life support for a week and spent three months in the hospital. “The first thing the doctor said, recalls Krista, was, ‘Kaprice is a miracle.’”
Kaprice’s recovery wasn’t easy. After spending two months at UCI Medical Center, Kaprice was sent to a rehabilitation program for a month, where he had to learn to walk and use his arms again. But there to help through each step of his journey was the burn community — an inspiring group of individuals, families, and professionals who were there to support the family through the difficult days. “I never knew there was a burn community, but I’m so grateful for it,” says Krista. “We wouldn’t be where we are now without their support.”
In addition to UCI’s dedicated and talented medical staff, additional help came from the Alisa Ann Ruch Burn Foundation (AARBF), a nonprofit devoted to providing fire prevention education and recovery services to burn survivors and their families. When Kaprice was finally ready to go back to school, a care manager spoke with his classmates and teachers beforehand. “Anything we needed, they were there,” says Krista.
Beyond helping with his transition back to school, Kaprice has also been able to attend AARBF’s Champ Camp, where young burn survivors find encouragement and healing with their peers. Since 2021, Angel Flight West’s (AFW) volunteer pilots have flown Kaprice from his home in Moreno Valley to the weeklong therapeutic program in Sanger, Calif.
To date, he’s been gifted with 12 Angel Flights to reach this special place.
“Camp makes me feel comfortable in my skin, being around other people who have been burned,” says Kaprice. “It brings us closer together, like one big family. People don’t stare at camp. You feel like you’re home.” This year, Kaprice is hoping to become a counselor-in-training, wanting to help younger kids navigate a challenge he knows all too well.
Kaprice on his way to the Alisa Ann Ruch Burn Foundation Retreat in 2021
Kaprice (left) arriving Alisa Ann Ruch Burn Foundation Retreat in 2021
As for Krista, she’s grateful for the compassion shown by UCI, AARBF, and AFW, including each volunteer pilot who makes the trip possible. “Each time Kaprice flies to camp, I know they’re going to keep him safe,” she says. “The pilots send me pictures and connect with me. I trust them.
“They open their arms with love.”
Help Angel Flight West arrange camp flights by donating today at angelflightwest.org/camp.
