In good hands
Burn patient credits Parkland for compassionate, expert care after Labor Day accident
When a Labor Day fish fry turned into a fiery accident, Leon Sulak of Farmers Branch didn’t expect to spend the holiday in Parkland Memorial Hospital. A grease fire that started in the garage of his East Texas lake home caught his leg before he could move the pot outside. His wife rushed him to the nearest hospital, where doctors quickly arranged a transfer to Parkland’s nationally recognized Burn Center.
“My first thought was, ‘Why Parkland?’” Sulak said. “All I knew was that it was a trauma hospital, and that sounded scary. I didn’t know they were leaders in burn care.”
That changed the moment he arrived. “Three doctors met me in the ER – two residents and a med student – and they were incredible,” he recalled. “You could tell right away that they cared deeply about what they do. From that moment on, I knew I was in good hands.”
During his 10-day stay, Sulak underwent skin graft surgery and wound care, but what stood out most was the compassion of the staff. “Every single nurse, every doctor, even the housekeeper stopped to talk and offer encouragement,” he said. “Rosalinda from Environmental Services was amazing. She always had something kind to say. Those moments kept me going.”
“Our team knows that healing from a burn is more than a physical recovery – it’s emotional, too,” said Katie Mapula, MSN, RN, Director of Nursing for the Critical Care and Burn Center at Parkland. “We work hard to make sure every patient feels supported, informed and cared for from the moment they arrive.”
Established in 1962, Parkland’s Burn Center is the second-largest civilian burn center in the U.S., treating more than 2,200 patients each year. The center was recently reverified as both an adult and pediatric burn center by the American Burn Association – a distinction Parkland has maintained since 1996. Parkland also earned verification of its Burn Fellowship Program, one of only 11 in the nation, underscoring its leadership in advancing burn care.
“Because of the care I received at Parkland, it didn’t take a huge mental toll on me or my family,” Sulak said. “They treated me like a person, not just a patient.”
Now back home and healing, he continues to reflect on his experience with gratitude. “Every day I know I was one of the lucky ones in that unit,” he said. “They care for people with far more severe burns than mine, and yet they lift everyone up. I don’t know how they do it, but they do it with heart.”
For more information about Parkland’s Burn Center, visit www.parklandhealth.org/burn-unit.
Back