Inspire 2025 ANNUAL DONOR REPORT

Straub Benioff: Triumph After Tragedy

Charmaine with her family and Straub Benioff staff at her emotional goodbye in May 2025.

Rows of homemade paper hearts with messages of hope. A steady flow of happy tears. More than 60 medical team members from across Straub Benioff Medical Center lining an entire hallway.

Those are some of the images that come to mind for Charmaine Benigno when she remembers her time at the medical center. The emotional sendoff was the day she went home after five and a half months of extensive treatment in the Burn Care Unit.

“I can't thank you all enough for the positive impact you've made,” Charmaine said. “Each one of you has a piece of my heart.”

It is not just one of her most powerful memories; it is one of the few memories she has of her recovery from the deadliest fireworks explosion in Hawai‘i’s history. Around midnight on Jan. 1, 2025, boxes of fireworks ignited during a family New Year’s Eve party at an Āliamanu home. Six people died. More than 20 were injured, including Charmaine.

Ten from the Āliamanu incident were treated at Straub Benioff’s Burn Care Unit. It was the largest number of patients from a single event in the Burn Care Unit's 42-year history. Charmaine was one of the most critically injured.

“Any patient with more than 80% body burn is at real risk for death. Charmaine is the survivor with the largest burn from the incident,” said Dr. David Cho, Straub Benioff plastic surgeon.

Charmaine was unconscious when she arrived at Straub Benioff. The medical teams kept her in a deep, medically induced coma to keep her comfortable and stabilized as she underwent week after week of intensive care and intricate procedures. Dr. Cho and the Straub Benioff operating team rebuilt her damaged skin step-by-step, one area at a time, with skin grafts. After hours of surgery, she would require constant monitoring to prevent infection, which is the biggest risk for burn patients.

Charmaine with some of the Straub Benioff Burn Care Unit team who cared for her during her more than five months of recovery.

While Charmaine made progress, there was still a lot of uncertainty. Then one weekend, Dr. Cho saw an encouraging sign.

“I came in and it was the first time she was awake,” Dr. Cho said. “She was waving to me, connected to the ventilator, and, I was like, ‘Wow, she's doing it. She's up.’”

From the moment she was conscious, Charmaine was determined to be with her kids again. In addition to the support from her family, she found strength in the Burn Care Unit team.

“They made me feel safe, especially when I was at my worst,” Charmaine said. “They always made sure I was comfortable. My recovery was hard, but the care I received made it much better.”

Charmaine touched the staff, too, with her positivity and tenacity. That’s why doctors, nurses, pharmacists, social workers, physical therapists, intensive-care and operating-room teams, and others who were a part of her care came by to wish her well that day in May 2025 as she left the Burn Care Unit. Some even surprised her by coming in on their day off.

Looking up from her wheelchair, Charmaine recognized some faces, but many she did not. Several told her, “You don’t know me,” or “You may not remember me,” before explaining that they were part of her surgical team or were among those who saw her when she first arrived that early January morning. Everyone wanted to show her what she meant to them.

“We all knew she had little kids to get home to,” Dr. Cho said. “We knew she wanted to see her kids, and they wanted to see Mom. That made it special.”

Charmaine with her two children.

“Not only did my medical team keep my spirits up with their help and smiles, they made my life better when I felt like giving up,” Charmaine said. “I know my journey isn't going to be easy, but I'll keep going strong, one day at a time.” 

Today, the 30-year-old continues to undergo treatment and rehabilitation at Straub Benioff. She is walking on her own, and she hit one of her goals: to play with her two young boys.

“Seeing these patients come in, your heart aches,” said Amy Chong, Straub Benioff Burn Care Unit supervisor. “While it's a roller coaster of emotions because these patients are going to have good days and bad days, that's what makes what we do so meaningful. Our team is there with expertise for all of that.”

“The Straub Benioff team is the reason I have a second chance at life,” Charmaine said.