Burned Skin Is Removed From Teen

Four surgical teams labored for hours Tuesday morning at a San Fernando Valley hospital to remove burned skin from Michael Halsell’s back and legs.

In Newbury Park, Michael’s high school classmates made final arrangements for a much-needed blood drive today to collect blood for the badly injured teen.

Although students’ ways of helping Michael differ from those of the expert surgeons, Newbury Park High School counselor Richard Intlekofer said Michael’s classmates have been instrumental in helping their friend survive.

“All of the support and care for Mike, that’s part of what’s helping him to come back and make it,” Intlekofer said.

Michael, 17, remained in extremely critical condition after Tuesday’s operation at the Grossman Burn Center at Sherman Oaks Hospital, spokesman Larry Weinberg said. Doctors spent more than two hours removing dead tissue and covering the wounds with cadaver skin to ward off infection. They also began the process of reconstructing Michael’s face, using skin cells grown in a lab.

Dr. A. Richard Grossman, the burn center’s medical director, expressed amazement that Michael survived his near electrocution, saying his injuries would have killed most people on the spot. Although doctors are encouraged by Michael’s continued survival, they say his chances remain slim.

He had been taken off of a respirator for most of Monday, but doctors placed him back on the breathing machine after Tuesday’s operation. Michael may be allowed to breathe unassisted today, depending on his progress.

While the center’s doctors and nurses are concerned about the extent of muscle and nerve damage in Michael’s arms, they have so far encountered no problems with infection, one of the biggest potential dangers facing Michael now.

If Michael’s condition holds steady, the next round of surgery would begin next week.

Michael suffered third-degree burns over 85% of his body during a rappelling accident March 11. A bolt of electricity, as much as 220,000 volts, struck Michael while he was practicing rock-climbing techniques off an Edison tower near the Conejo Grade, setting fire to himself and his clothes.

Newbury Park High School students continue to visit the hospital after school and rally around their classmate. Support for Michael, who has been a member of the high school wrestling team, is strong enough that the blood drive, scheduled from 8 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., was forced to turn away some would-be donors. More than 80 students had signed up by Tuesday and had filled all the appointment times available, Intlekofer said.

The students have also organized fund-raisers to help Michael’s family. Friday, the school’s drama club will present an encore performance of the play “I’ll Be Back Before Midnight.” Money raised from the $5 tickets will go to the Halsell family to defray Michael’s medical expenses. A performance of the play last weekend brought the family $200, Assistant Principal Millie Andress said.

And at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, the high school is scheduled to host a charity martial arts demonstration in the gymnasium. Black belt holders from Bill Poett’s Martial Arts America academy in Newbury Park--where Michael’s 20-year-old brother Chris works as an instructor--will spar and demonstrate weapons techniques, with tickets priced at $2 per person, and $5 per family.

Intlekofer, who counsels both Michael and his younger brother, John, at Newbury Park High, said students caught up in the frenzy of activity are handling the crisis well.

“They’re actually doing remarkably well considering what they’ve been through in the past week,” he said. “What has helped is the students have really banded together to help Mike and the family.”

Michael is not out of the woods yet. A study by the American Burn Assn. found that people with burns over more than 80% of their body have no better than a 50-50 chance of survival, association secretary Dr. Jeffrey Saffle said.

“It all depends on the magnitude of the injury,” he said. “There’s nothing un-survivable about a high voltage electrical injury, but obviously as burn size goes up, survival goes down.”

Survival chances decrease still further, he said, if most of the burns are severe, such as third-degree burns.

But Michael’s classmates remain optimistic, hoping for his recovery Intlekofer said.

“I think Mike is helping us through this as well, simply through his determination to make it,” he said. “We can all learn through his strength.”