Emporium Fire victim wants to counsel children hospitalized with burns

Freshman at Kutztown University wants to counsel children hospitalized with burns
Francisco Betancourt was badly burned in a fire in his family's apartment when he was 3 that also killed his younger brother.
By Greta Cuyler
Reading Eagle
Francisco Betancourt doesn't recall accidentally setting his family's apartment on fire when he was 3 years old.And he doesn't remember his 2-year-old brother Alonzo, who died of smoke inhalation less than 24 hours later.But the Kutztown University freshman can't forget the stares and comments from those who see the burns and skin grafts that run the length of his arms and upper back.Since the fire in 1994, Francisco has undergone at least 15 surgeries. His skin in discolored and uneven in places. He's self-conscious and says he rarely takes his shirt off in public.But the 18-year-old from Enola, Cumberland County, isn't shy about his future plans. He chose Kutztown University for its undergraduate clinical counseling psychology program.Francisco hopes to someday counsel children hospitalized with burns and their families. A typical hospital stay for a skin-graft surgery can last two weeks, he said."I think it's important to have people (on staff) who have suffered," Francisco said. "People who have suffered through it will be more likely to share tears with you."I want to do it, but it feels like maybe I also need to do it."Growing up, Francisco's mother emphasized the importance of a good education. And Francisco followed her advice: pick a school that feels like home. A graduate of Trinity High School in Camp Hill, Francisco already has a jump start on his career goal.He's a counselor-in-training at a camp for child burn victims, which he has attended since he was 5. He's also trained to counsel child burn victims at Shriners Hospital for Children in Cincinnati, where he received free surgery and treatment for years.Francisco believes everything happens for a reason. "Once I thought about it, I thought maybe that's why the accident happened," he said. "If I would not have been burned, I would not be as emotionally grounded as I am or as spiritually open."Francisco has heard varying accounts of what happened in his family's apartment in Emporium, Cameron County, on Jan. 18, 1994.......READ MORE
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