DC’s Burn Community at Phoenix World Burn Congress
Every other year, Phoenix World Burn Congress brings together people whose lives have been touched by burn injury, offering connection, understanding, and support. This year, your generosity allowed 60 people from our region to experience that community firsthand.
A Life-Changing Opportunity Made Possible by You
In early November 2025, 60 people from across the D.C. region packed their bags and headed to Covington, Kentucky for this year’s Phoenix World Burn Congress — a life-changing opportunity made possible by the generosity of our supporters and a significant gift from the Bert W. Martin Foundation. It was the largest group the DC Firefighters Burn Foundation has ever been able to send, and it opened the door for survivors, firefighters, medical providers, and family members to take part in an unforgettable week of learning and connection.
A Place Where Survivors Can Simply Be
For many burn survivors, PWBC is one of the few places in the world where they don’t have to carry the “extra work” that comes with meeting new people. Outside of this conference, survivors often navigate the long pause, the curious glance, or the careful expression that appears before the conversation even begins.
At PWBC, that moment disappears entirely. No one is surprised. No one stares. Everyone already understands.
For three days, people are free of the invisible weight they’re used to carrying — the weight of managing other people’s reactions, explaining their appearance, or trying to make strangers feel comfortable. Here, they simply belong.
Connection That Happens Instantly
The hotel lobby becomes a gathering place of people who recognize one another not because their scars match, but because their experiences do. Whether someone has no visible scars at all or has scars that shape nearly every feature of their face, every person is met with the same warmth and ease.
Survivors hug each other freely.
Strangers strike up conversations like old friends.
The barrier that normally exists between “me” and “you” dissolves.
PWBC is more than a conference; it’s a space where people feel seen without explanation.
Learning, Healing, and Moments That Stay With You
Throughout the week, survivors, families, medical teams, firefighters, and first responders learn together through keynote sessions, small-group discussions, peer support circles, and late-night conversations that often become the heart of the experience.
There’s room for laughter, for tears, for joy, for hope, and for rest.
And for many, there is a deep sense of relief — the kind that comes from finally walking into a room where you don’t have to hide anything.
What Firefighters and Providers Bring Home
Firefighters often wonder about the people they’ve rescued. At PWBC, they get to see them not as patients, but as thriving adults, proud parents, artists, athletes, and advocates. For firefighters who have been injured themselves, the chance to connect with so many burn survivors in the same space — including fellow burn-injured firefighters — offers a unique kind of peer support that comes from being in a space this large and connected.
Medical providers return home with a clearer understanding of what recovery looks like long after the hospital stay ends. They hear directly from survivors about what helped, what was hard, and what is still needed. They connect with colleagues who share their commitment to long-term aftercare and they bring home new ideas to strengthen the support in their own communities.
Leadership From Within Our Community
This year, we were proud to have Rebekah Allely, OT and Aftercare Programming Coordinator for the DC Firefighters Burn Foundation, invited to speak at PWBC. Rebekah led two important sessions:
“Facing the Future: The Tools and Steps to Social Confidence and Control,” an interactive workshop that offered survivors, families, and burn care professionals practical tools for navigating social situations with confidence and control.
“Intimacy & Sexuality Training for Healthcare Professionals,” a session guiding providers on how to address sensitive topics with clarity, compassion, and care.
Rebekah also served on the Programming Committee for this year’s conference — helping shape the sessions, content, and overall direction of PWBC. Her involvement ensured that the needs of survivors and their families were represented at the highest level and that the sessions offered were practical, thoughtful, and grounded in real aftercare experience. Her leadership is a meaningful contribution to both survivors and professionals navigating the complexities of life after burn injury.
Recognizing Outstanding Service Within the Firefighter Community
DCFFBF Board Member Jimmy DiGregory presents the 2025 Joe Hickey Fire Service Award to honoree Steve Luppinacci, joined by Phoenix Society CEO Amy Acton.
During PWBC, the Phoenix Society also presents the Joe Hickey Fire Service Award — a national recognition honoring exceptional dedication to the burn community. DCFFBF Board Member Jimmy DiGregory proudly represents our Foundation on the selection board and presents the award each cycle.
You can read more about this year’s honoree in the separate article found here.
Why Your Support Matters
For many attendees, participating in PWBC would not be financially possible without support. Travel costs, time off work, and registration fees can create barriers that keep survivors and families from accessing this powerful community.
That is exactly why the Foundation steps in.
Your generosity made it possible for 60 people to attend this year, each of whom returned home with something they didn’t arrive with — confidence, connection, healing, or simply the comfort of knowing they are not alone.
We are deeply grateful to everyone who made this possible.
This is what your support creates — space for people to feel seen, understood, and welcomed exactly as they are.
Meet Three First-Time Attendees
Numbers tell part of the story, but the heart of PWBC lives in the people who attend.
Below, you can read reflections from three first-time attendees who were part of this year’s experience:
John Hoza — Burn Survivor Story (link)
Victor Calvillo — Burn Survivor Story (link)
Emily Rhoeling — Firefighter Perspective (link)
Below are some pictures from our time at PWBC 2025!
