On November 14, comedian Jay Leno was rushed to the hospital after being severely burned in a gasoline fire in his garage while working on one of his many cars. According to initial reports, the car Leno was working on one of those cars when it burst into flames. While he was in good spirits and talking to the nursing staff, Leno suffered third-degree burns, some of the most severe burns a person can get.
Not long after Leno was admitted to the hospital, his reps confirmed that he was undergoing hyperbaric treatment and would possibly need skin grafts to repair the damage. The hyperbaric treatment brings more oxygen into the body, which, in turn, can help speed up the healing process. During his time in the hospital, Leno did, in fact, have skin grafting done.
Although Leno was in pretty bad shape, it appears that he is healing up nicely. On November 21, The Grossman Burn Center — where Leno had been receiving treatment — sent out a press release:
“Comedian Jay Leno was released from the Grossman Burn Center today. After a 10-day stay at the facility, Jay will receive follow-up care at the Grossman Outpatient Burn Clinic for burns to his face, chest and hands he received during a fire at his home garage. Jay would like to let everyone know how thankful he is for the care he received, and is very appreciative of all of the well wishes. He is looking forward to spending Thanksgiving with his family and friends and wishes everyone a wonderful holiday.”
Leno’s physician, Dr. Peter Grossman also said that he was “pleased with Jay’s progress, and I am optimistic that he will make a full recovery.” The Burn Center also released a photo of a smiling Leno, and burn injuries can be seen on his hands and neck.
Both the hyperbaric treatment and the skin grafts help promote healing, and the skin grafts are not permanent. The skin grafts will cover Leno’s damaged skin and protect it until new layers of skin are formed. Then the grafts can be removed.
Leno has been a part of the Disney family for years, having voiced Jay Limo in the Disney/Pixar movie Cars, and voicing various characters in a number of Disney shows, including The Muppets, Hannah Montana, Phineas and Ferb, and Mickey and the Roadster Racers. Leno was also the host of The Tonight Show for more than 20 years.