The last patient of the New Year’s Eve fireworks explosion in Āliamanu being treated at the Straub Benioff Medical Center in Honolulu has been discharged from its burn care unit.
Charmaine Benigno, described as a mother in her 20s, had burns over 80% of her body, according to a news release from Hawaiʻi Pacific Health.
HPH said she had the most complex and severe burns of those who were injured.
“Any patient with 80% body burn is at real risk for death at that large percentage," Dr. David Cho, a surgeon at the center who operated on Benigno, said. "Char is the survivor with the largest burn from the incident, so obviously, that makes us all so happy that she was able to survive this. And more importantly, we all knew she had kids, so the whole time we knew she had little kids to get home to.”
More than 60 Straub Benioff staff, from the BCU, the operating room and the intensive care unit, gathered at the center to send off Benigno. HPH said they lined the halls holding paper hearts to bid the mother of two farewell.
In a statement, Benigno said, “Each one of you has a piece of my heart. You made my life better when I felt like giving up. You are the reason I have a second chance in life. I know my journey isn't going to be easy, but I'll keep going strong, one day at a time.”
Ten total patients who were injured in the explosion had been receiving care at the center. In March, five patients who were injured in the explosion were discharged from the Arizona Burn Center.
Six people died as a result of the New Year's Eve explosion.
