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Burn Survivor Has Skin Graft Surgery, and Has a Difficult Recovery Ahead

The lone survivor of a small-airplane crash in southeast Kansas recently underwent skin graft surgery to treat third degree burns across 28 percent of her body. Hannah Luce of Garden Valley, Texas, a recent graduate of Oral Roberts University, was flying with four others to a Christian youth rally in Iowa when their twin-engine Cessna crashed northwest of Chanute, Kansas.

All the other people, including the pilot, died in the crash. Hannah Luce is the daughter of Ron Luce, an Oral Roberts trustee and founder of Teen Mania Ministries, which was sponsoring the rally in Council Bluffs, Iowa. She was treated at the University of Kansas Hospital in Kansas City, Kansas. A spokesperson there said that Hannah was in serious condition but was expected to make a full recovery.

“She went into her first surgery for skin grafts on burns she suffered on her left leg, her arms and her hands,” said a spokesperson for the family. “The doctors are saying it’s a miracle Hannah didn’t suffer more internal trauma.” Hannah was off a respirator and breathing on her own several days after the crash, and was awake and answering questions before surgery.

However, “she’s dealing with the loss of four friends. They were all tremendous individuals,” the spokesperson said. “They all had a heart for reaching the younger generation.”

The National Transportation Safety Board is investigating what caused the crash. The pilot had a commercial pilot’s license, was certified for that aircraft, and had been flying for years. One other victim, a former Marine who had served two tours of duty in Iraq before attending Oral Roberts, might have helped Luce escape the crash site and get help before succumbing to his own burn injuries.

Once the surgery is complete, Hannah will have to undergo a lot of painful rehabilitation in order for her burn injuries to heal enough to allow her to lead a normal life again.

If you or someone you know suffers an injury such as third degree burns or smoke inhalation, you should call Kramer & Pollack LLP in Mineola, New York so that the personal injury attorneys in that firm can determine whether another party has legal liability for injuries suffered, and if the injured party has a strong legal case.

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