Kane at his brother’s high school graduation in June, 2 years after his accident.
Appearances can be deceiving. Fifteen-year-old Kane Selinsky appears to be a typical rising sophomore at Tusky Valley High School, where he plays football and baseball and enjoys fishing in his spare time. To see him now, you would never guess the harrowing experience he endured in June 2022.
“I was in my backyard burning a pile of brush,” he said. “I decided to throw some gas on it, and it blew up in my face.”
Unaware of the severity of his burns, Kane tried to soothe the pain with a shower. Within an hour, his condition worsened as his skin began to blister and peel. After being initially treated at Cleveland Clinic Mercy Hospital, Kane was transferred to Akron Children’s Adult and Pediatric Burn Institute, supported by The Paul and Carol David Foundation. Kane had sustained deep second degree burns on his arms, legs, face and neck – 16% of his body – necessitating immediate and specialized care.
Kane sustained deep second degree burns on his arms, legs, face, and neck – 16% of his body – necessitating immediate and specialized care.
A place for burn patients of all ages
The Burn Institute isn’t just for kids. Take Steve Hartman, for example. At 80 years old, Steve found himself needing burn treatment after a fireworks display went wrong at his Portage Lakes home.
“We have been doing the fireworks show for the past 10 years and it just gets bigger every year,” he said. “In 2023, we had 200 people at our home when one of the fireworks in the grand finale went sideways and hit me in the leg and blew up.”
Luckily for Steve, an ER doctor and a few paramedics were at the party and treated his burns with wet towels and a cold shower. By the next day, he was in enough pain that he ended up at Akron Children’s.
“I was burned from mid-thigh to my ankle on one leg and I also had burns on my hands,” said Steve.
Steve Hartman, age 80, obtained second degree burns when he was hit by a firework. After having surgery using RECELL (spray-on skin), Steve was discharged home the same day.
Dr. Anjay Khandelwal, director, Adult and Pediatric Burn Institute and Acute/Reconstructive Burn Surgeon, who also treated Kane, ran tests on Steve to ensure he was fit for surgery.
Advanced treatment for faster healing
Within 2 days after admission, both Steve and Kane had a similar experience – treatment with RECELL (spray-on skin).
“We met with Dr. Khandelwal who explained he wanted to use RECELL to treat Kane’s second degree burns,” said Nicole Selinsky, Kane’s mom. “He said the procedure involved taking a credit card size piece of skin from Kane’s right arm and cutting it up, adding a solution to it and spraying it back on.”
For Steve, the skin sample was taken from his thigh (above the burned area).
Nicole said she was told the advantages to the procedure were less pain and scarring and faster healing.
“Those are all the things you can possibly want for your kid who has just sustained this type of injury,” she said.
Kane shows off before and after pictures of his arm. On the left is the credit card size scar where the skin was taken for the spray-on skin. On the right, the area has completely healed.
Currently, Akron Children’s is the only burn center in Ohio using RECELL routinely for second degree burns (and third degree burns) on adult and pediatric patients.
“Apart from benefits in third degree burns, our studies have shown spray-on skin for second degree burns is 25 times more likely to heal by 10 days than with current, standard management, with zero infections and a 79% reduction in scarring,” said Dr. Khandelwal. “Patients can also expect a shorter length of stay in the hospital, fewer dressing changes and a decreased need for narcotic pain medications.
“In Steve’s case, the use of spray-on skin on his deep second degree burns eliminated the need for him to have a traditional skin graft which would have led to more pain and scarring as well as a longer time in the hospital and a longer recovery,” added Dr. Khandelwal.
After Kane’s procedure, his wounds were covered with an artificial skin, a technique pioneered by the burn team at Akron Children’s, to protect and help the new skin grow. Remarkably, he was discharged just one day later and returned to baseball practice the following week. Steve was discharged home the same day of surgery and was surprised by how fast his burns healed with RECELL.
“The combination of the spray-on and artificial skin almost eliminates the need for painful dressing changes at home,” said Dr. Khandelwal.
“I was bandaged from my hip to my ankle and had to walk with a cane,” said Steve. “But within three weeks my burns were healed.”
Exceptional care for all
Steve and his wife, Linda, were very impressed with the care he received at Akron Children’s Burn Institute. On the right, Steve shows how well his leg has healed over the last year.
Now, two years later, Kane reflects positively on his recovery. “I have very minimal scarring and the skin color matches,” he said. Kane also remembers the exceptional care he received at Akron Children’s. “The nurses were amazing,” he said. “They provided me with great protein shakes and good movies.”
Steve echoed Kane’s sentiment about the staff. “I was very impressed by Akron Children’s staff and facilities,” he said. “I’ve been to numerous adult hospitals and Akron Children’s is head and shoulders about the rest.”
Nicole shared her appreciation for the staff’s dedication, “I was very impressed with the staff. They always took the time to answer my questions and explain things. Everything they said would happen came to fruition.”
Akron Children’s Adult and Pediatric Burn Institute is internationally recognized for its commitment to comprehensive burn care and is verified by the American Burn Association and the American College of Surgeons Committee on Trauma. Learn more about RECELL.
