18-Year-Old Survives Fraternity Fire, Becomes First in the World to Heal Her Face Without Skin Grafts

Burn experts from Hamilton Health Sciences became the first specialists in the world to apply biological therapy to restore the face of a young woman who was severely injured in a house fire. As the doctor and his patient say, the procedure is truly miraculous.

Biological therapy uses exosomes, which are very small cellular particles that enable cell communication. They accelerate the healing process, tissue regeneration, and reduce inflammation. Such particles are produced in laboratory settings and injected into the injured area to promote rapid recovery. Thus, this technology could replace traditional skin grafts that leave scars.

Kaitlin Jeffrey is an 18-year-old woman who studies at Western University. Last December, she suffered severe burns in a house fire in London, Ontario.

“My vision for Kaitlin was to avoid skin graft surgery to her face and neck at any cost,” said Dr. Marc Jeschke, who works as vice-president of research and innovation at Hamilton Health Sciences. With Health Canada’s permission, he was able to use the method on his patient.

Jeffrey received two injections of one trillion exosomes, imported from the USA, several days apart.

“You can do the best graft on the planet, but you won’t return the skin to normal,” Jeschke said. “And, for a young person, a skin graft to the face and neck can be absolutely devastating.”

Exosomes have been used in burn research for many years; however, their use in humans in such situations has never been reported. However, there is positive evidence of successful human exosome trials for wound healing.

Jeffrey said that the procedure results were miraculous. Although the fire affected her mental state, very good results, especially for her face, helped her cope with the problem.

According to Dr. Jeschke, with further research, this world-first procedure can become the standard treatment for burn patients in Canada and worldwide.

“Like Dr. Jeschke, my family and I would love to see exosome therapy become the standard of care for patients like myself in Canada, so that when horrific things happen, it doesn’t change people’s lives forever,” Jeffrey said.