Answers to Your Questions About Treatments for Scars and Burns

Dermatologist answers viewers' questions about treatment for scars.

ByABC News
July 22, 2009, 11:34 AM

July 22, 2009— -- Identical triplets -- Trae, Jordan and Chandra Berns -- were severely burned in a house fire at only 17 months old.

Desperately hoping to erase the physical scars of the fire, the 22-year-old triplets embarked on a new laser treatment plan with Dr. Jill Waibel of the Palm Beach Esthetic Dermatology & Laser Center.

Waibel is a dermatologist in Palm Beach, Fla., who specializes in cutaneous laser surgery.

The triplets also have started their own foundation, "Three for Hope," which will focus on helping other burn survivors pay medical bills and pay for laser treatments to improve the quality of burn scars.

MESSAGE FROM CHANDRA, TRAE AND JORDAN BERNS:

"Thank you so much to everyone for the positive feedback and support! This has been a wonderful journey, and we are glad to have shared it with all of you. In the beginning, before we chose to share our story with the world, we said that if we can just help one single person in some way, everything would be worth letting the world in on our story and struggles that we have overcome. And it looks like we have done that! We can't express all of the gratitude toward all of you for all of the beautiful messages, comments, inspiring stories you have shared and all of the donations made to the Three for Hope Foundation! We are going to help as many people as we possibly can, and it would not happen without generous hearts like you all have! We will keep everyone posted with our latest updates on our foundation's Web site. Please visit threeforhope.org!"

ANSWERS FROM CHANDRA BERNS:

AMANDA, Hadley, Mass.: Has this journey made an impact in what you aspire to become in a professional aspect?

CHANDRA: Well, at the beginning of this journey with getting the treatments and doing all of the media, we already knew what we wanted to do. I had the hopes of starting a foundation for burn survivors and their families since the age of 17. But since all of this has happened, it has sped up the process, which I am so grateful for! I didn't know what I wanted to major in, I could NOT make up my mind because I wanted to do everything, but since my dream is coming true, that has definitely helped me make up my mind and I am going into nonprofit business. My sisters Jordan and Trae have wanted to be occupational therapists for quite some time as well.

CAROL, Austin, Texas: How can I become involved in Three for Hope? My husband and I were so impressed with these girls' spirits and determinations and would be proud to call them "granddaughters." What can we do to help this wonderful cause?

CHANDRA: We are just getting our foundation launched and need all the help we can possibly get, i.e. help with getting the word out, and doing fundraisers and what not because we have a lot of people out there to help, and just not enough funding as of right now to cater to everyone, but we will get there ... and with help from people like yourself, that would be so wonderful! If you go to threeforhope.org you will see an e-mail address you can contact us at, and we will discuss this further!

TRACY, Diamond Bar, Calif.: Wow, what an incredible story! You are the same age as my daughter. I am an English Second Language teacher about to move to China for a year. I am also a public speaking major. Have you thought of taking your inspirational story global? Have you thought of taking your fund raising efforts global as well?

CHANDRA: Wow, China! That's so awesome! I've always wanted to go there! Anyways, back to your question ... this has all happened so quickly and we have just been thinking about what we have to get accomplished in the time being. We have thought about taking our fundraising efforts global, not really sure how to reach people on the other side of the world yet, but we will come up with something!

GERLINDE, Millbrae, Calif.: How did you go from being afraid to show your scars to putting down the walls and opening up to people about it? What's the trigger? How did you find the courage to do so, especially telling your boyfriends?

CHANDRA: Well, opening up to people we trust can definitely be a lot easier than opening up to everyone in the entire world, lol! But going from not even wearing a t-shirt to the grocery store in 100-degree heat to then all of a sudden going on national TV and sharing our story that we have been so private about all of these years ... well, that was all up to God and our wonderful Aunt Vicki and our grandma Sue. They have really encouraged us to not let our differences stop us from anything. We couldn't have done it without them! He has been with us every step of the way and He told my sisters and I to just get out there and do it and to not be afraid, so we listened to Him. If we could sacrifice our own comfort zone to help others and help them realize that they are not alone and there are people out there that care ... then it was worth every bit of this.