Sentara Norfolk General Hospital revives support group for burn, trauma survivors

Jacob was in a welding class at a trade school when his frayed apron and clothes caught fire. He didn’t notice until it was too late.

“You’re focused on the work,” he said. “And you can’t see outside the mask.”

Jacob recently shared his story at a meeting of the Cliff Golby Trauma Peer Support Group — one of the first gatherings since the group was revived earlier this year at Sentara Norfolk General Hospital, Hampton Roads' only Level I trauma center.

He suffered second-degree burns on his torso and arm and spent three weeks in the hospital’s burn center. After receiving multiple skin grafts, he’s in outpatient rehabilitation and attending the support group while he figures out what to do next.

“After this, I’m not going to weld,” he said.

But he’s giving thought to nursing school. Three weeks in the hospital, supported day and night by nurses, was an inspiration.

“I’ve always kind of thought about it,” he said. “Being in the hospital made me want to do it even more.”

The support group is a peer-led program designed for former trauma patients of Sentara Norfolk General Hospital. It offers education, coping tools, and peer support in a safe, respectful environment, and it’s open to anyone recovering from trauma related to injury, illness, hospitalization, violence, or loss.

Its namesake, Cliff Golby, was a burn survivor and longtime supporter of a previous burn trauma support group at the hospital that was suspended during the pandemic. He recently died, just as Sentara’s trauma team was bringing the group back and broadening it to include all types of trauma survivors.

A trauma survivor participates in a body mapping exercise during the June 2026 meeting of the Cliff Golby Trauma Peer Support Group.

That includes trauma survivors like Mya, who swerved her car to avoid hitting a deer one night. She over-corrected and crashed, suffering a broken pelvis and multiple other injuries. She was on day eight at Sentara Norfolk General Hospital when she decided to attend her first support group meeting.

Mya is a college student studying elementary education and a manager of a fast-food restaurant.

“I won’t be able to go to school this fall,” she said through tears. “This changes everything.” 

Trauma can do that, and often does, whether it’s from an accident or violence. It can take months of rehabilitation, corrective surgeries, lost work and wages, and psychological pain to recover, and the memory can linger for years.

Angel, another attendee of the support group’s June meeting, is a survivor of traumatic violence. She tried to intervene to help a friend and was beaten with a fence post. She suffered a broken leg and multiple sutures to her face from the assault. Orthopedic surgery placed five metal pins in her leg and one in her ankle. 

Angel just finished outpatient rehab and is using a walker to get around, slowly. 

Her attacker is in jail awaiting trial.

“Everyone here shares the experience of trauma,” program facilitator Stephannie Malone told the group. “This is a safe place, with no judgement, and everything said here is confidential.”

Each monthly meeting focuses on a different theme, rotating through topics like coping strategies for emotional regulation, trauma and relationships, understanding triggers and setting boundaries, and healing through art.

A participant in the Cliff Golby Trauma Peer Support Group used body mapping exercises to identify and express areas of physical and emotional pain during the group's June meeting.

At the June meeting, art therapy intern Lydia distributed sheets of paper with “body maps” on them and colored pencils. Participants were invited to draw the areas causing them pain in that moment.

Then yoga instructor Kyna led the group through a trauma-informed yoga session, a series of gentle stretches to the sound of dreamy new age music.

“When you lift up your chest, you lift up your heart,” Kyna told the group, seated on mats or chairs as their bodies allowed, eyes closed, leaning into the moment. 

Kyna works as a phlebotomist but described teaching yoga as her calling.

“Blow out the stress of your pain and trauma,” she said, “and remember, it happened, but you’re still here.”

The Cliff Golby Trauma Peer Support Group meets every third Tuesday at 6 p.m. at Sentara Heart Hospital. Former trauma patients, age 18 and older, can register by calling 1-800-SENTARA.