In 2009, in Reseda, California, Roberta Busby was attacked by a man and woman who doused her with gasoline and set her on fire in an act of vengeance. The case made headline news while Roberta spent seven months at the Grossman Burn Center undergoing multiple surgeries and procedures to treat the third-degree burns that covered over 60% of her body.

Busby’s surgeon, Dr. Peter Grossman, Director of the Grossman Burn Centers, has performed dozens of reconstructive surgeries on Roberta over the past fourteen years and is excited to be able to work with Gillis to help make a difference in his patient’s overall quality of life. And that’s all one can hope for when working with patients who have suffered tremendously from disfiguring and traumatic burn injuries.

Dr. Grossman’s wife, Rebecca Grossman, co-founder and volunteer Chair for the Grossman Burn Foundation (GBF), contacted Alec Gillis and asked if he could possibly be of assistance in a unique medical case. This was not the first time that Rebecca Grossman reached out to Gillis to help a disfigured patient. In 2018, Gillis created several prosthetic noses for another humanitarian case of the GBF that came across Rebecca’s desk. A young woman named Yustince had her nose completely cut off of her face with a machete. It was her husband who violently wielded it against her in a fit of rage. She was located on a remote Island in Indonesia and there was no chance of getting her surgery or even a CAT scan for a professional medical prosthetic.  

The case was brought to Rebecca Grossman and she reached out to Alec Gillis, who immediately agreed to help, in turn creating several prosthetic noses that were made from molds from Yustince’s face and color-matched, resulting in realistic and beautifully seamless prosthetic noses.

In June 2023, roughly fourteen years after the vicious attack on Roberta Busby, Roberta shared with Rebecca Grossman her desire to have normal ears again. Rebecca called Alec and, without hesitation, he quickly agreed to help. 

Roberta was invited to the Oscar-winning special effects artist’s studio, Studio Gillis, located in Los Angeles. Molds were constructed by his top special effects artist Lydia Morales, who strategically shaped every nuance of the mold to the sides of Roberta’s head for several hours to get the perfect fit and appearance. Fortunately, there were small areas of her ears that were spared after the burn injury, which allowed for magnets or adhesives to be placed for the attachment of the prosthetics once they had been completed. Roberta joked that she felt like Princess Leia of Star Wars during the process. 

A Look Inside Alec Gillis’s Hall of Fame

For decades, Alec Gillis has been recognized for his work in blockbuster movies ranging from Alien and Tremors to The Santa Clause, Jumanji, and more recently the latest Predator movie, Prey, to name just a few, as well as hit television series like I’m A Virgo now playing on Amazon Prime. Gillis won an Academy Award for making movie magic with actors Meryl Steep, Goldie Hawn, and Bruce Willis in the highly acclaimed movie Death Becomes Her.

Maneuvering his FX talents to make monsters and bigger-than-life characters for the screen has earned Gillis immense recognition in the film and television industry; however, his contributions and FX of the heart bring Gillis and Lydia Morales a completely different level of fulfillment and a bit closer to earning their angel wings.  

Their compassion and extraordinary talents as special effects gurus are providing a new outlook on life for a young woman who has suffered immensely. Their act of charity and tenderness is providing Roberta Busby with yet another opportunity to take another step closer to her pre-injury status. Busby has always maintained a positive attitude and enjoys joking and laughing while role-modeling grace, hope, and strength for her four children and for other women who have been victims of domestic violence.

Busby remains an advocate for burn survivors and her advice to others suffering is, “Never give up, no matter how hard it feels, and on those days when it feels impossible to even get out of bed- never give up, it will get better.” Gillis and Morales, while providing special effects from their own hearts by donating their talents and skills, have provided immense hope and joy to all involved in this case. We salute them and are grateful for all of the heroes in the field of humanitarian work who go above and beyond to make lives better. 

The History & The Gilded Legacy 

The Grossman Burn Foundation is the philanthropic arm of the Grossman Burn Centers. The flagship center launched in 1969 and was originally located in Sherman Oaks, California. Known for their compassion and competence in burn care, Dr. Peter Grossman continues the legacy that his father started by building the brand and expanding to various regions of the country including West Hills, CA, Bakersfield, CA, Kansas City, KS, and soon-to-be opening in Dallas, TX. 

These premier and specialized burn centers focus on restoring each patient to as close to their pre-injury status both physically and emotionally and by further collaborating with individuals and organizations who can provide comprehensive support when surgery is not a viable option.  

The Grossman Burn Foundation promotes burn survivor support groups, much-needed surgery for individuals who have no means to obtain treatment, programs that support raising awareness in the area of domestic violence, a Humanitarian Assistance Manual, global burn care training, and burn prevention education to schools as well as to at-risk senior citizens. They believe in mass collaboration and support strategic partnerships with other organizations serving communities in America as well as around the world.

Union with Girl Power USA

The Grossman Burn Foundation recently joined forces with the nonprofit Girl Power USA by providing support to burn survivors in India as well as medical training for acute burn care to young doctors in Uganda.  

To learn more, please visit: www.girlpowerusa.org and view the video at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j1_mnz5PwT4

Indeed, it is the special effects of our hearts that can leave indelible marks and inspire faith in mankind, in turn lifting our own spirits. The universe works in the most painful and beautiful ways; however, it’s up to us to alter reality for the betterment of all. Strength in numbers is truly the way to make greater impacts on the lives of others and by recognizing that, without question, it often takes a village. 

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