December 4, 1998

The rock band Aerosmith has made a gift of $10,000 to the MGH Burn Service on behalf of their drummer Joey Kramer, who was treated at the hospital in September after being burned in a gasoline fire.

Kramer's arms and legs were burned when his car caught fire at a gas station in Scituate. He was taken to the South Shore Hospital for treatment and then released. He later came to the MGH for several weeks of outpatient treatment with Colleen Ryan, MD, FACS, and Ronald Tompkins, MD, ScD, director of the MGH Burn Service. Now fully recovered, Kramer is on a concert tour with Aerosmith.

"Without the care and time taken by the entire staff of the Burn Unit at Massachusetts General Hospital, I don't think my rehabilitation would have been so speedy," Kramer says. "The tireless efforts of this extraordinary bunch enabled me to get back on the road as soon as possible. It's hard to find the words to thank such a special group of people – particularly Colleen Ryan, who deserves a medal."

Aerosmith's gift provides funding for the expansion of the MGH's outpatient burn services.

Aerosmith members, from left, Joe Perry, Joey Kramer, Steven Tyler, Brad Whitford and Tom Hamilton.