A mum says she is "heartbroken" as her teenage son fights for his life in hospital after being rescued from a fire at a derelict pub.
McKenzie Kiely, 15, suffered horrific injuries and remains in critical condition at Alder Hey Children's Hospital after being pulled from the blaze at the former Woodman Inn in Hazel Grove last month. Following the incident, McKenzie's mum Joanna Kiely, 35, said she "broke down" when she discovered what happened.
On what was just a "normal day", McKenzie had left his family home on Tuesday, July 26, promising to be back home at 7.30pm. Ten minutes before he was due back, Joanna spoke to McKenzie who asked to stay out for another hour.
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During the telephone call, McKenzie asked for his mum to pick him up from the Asda supermarket, which is just a few hundred yards from the Woodman building. However, when she came to call him to arrange a lift there was no answer.
Speaking to the Manchester Evening News, Joanna said: “I was starting to worry. So I just about to set off from mine and start looking for him and ask if anyone had seen him when I got a phone call saying McKenzie had been in a fire and they were taking him to hospital.
“At this point, I was crying, hysterical, I didn’t know what was going on and I was struggling to get my head around it. I went to Stepping Hill at first and was running around the back of every ambulance that arrived to see if it was him.”
She was then informed he was being taken to the Royal Manchester Children’s Hospital and was taken there herself. She said: "Before I got there I wasn’t sure what to expect but when I did it, it was like a war or something.
"There were doctors and nurses everywhere, police outside. It was horrific. Seeing him all bandaged up from head to toe was heart-breaking. I just broke down and slumped to my knees. It’s not something I’d want any parent to ever have to go through.”
McKenzie suffered extensive burns in the fire including full-thickness burns to his hands, arms, shoulders, back and part of his face. He was unconscious when he was brought out of the building and was placed into an induced coma shortly after arriving at the hospital.
He was transferred to Alder Hey Children's Hospital where he has undergone three major life-saving operations. Joanna is staying at the Ronald McDonald House accommodation at the hospital as she spends every day at his bedside.
She said: “It’s just devastating. Our lives have just been turned upside down, I’m not coping well at all. I just feel broken by it all. I just feel so sad for him. He’s only 15 was just about to start his last year at school and do his GCSEs.
"I feel for my other son, McKenzie’s brother Levi, as well. It’s devastated him. He’s been to visit but it’s very hard for him and also I’m away in a different city. But we just thank god that McKenzie is still with us. I’d love to speak to the firefighters who rescued him and thank them because they saved his life. If they hadn’t got him out of there he’d have died.”
All three children were described as being in a critical condition by police in a statement released the day after the incident. No further updates on their condition or the investigation into the fire, which detectives believe was started deliberately, have been released since.
Joanna has now issued a warning to parents and kids alike, saying her son’s plight is an example of the dangers derelict buildings pose.
She said: “As far as I knew he was in the park playing with friends, and that’s where I was happy for him to be. I didn’t have any idea, any clue that he was going to do something like exploring a building.
“So if I’m not aware I’m presuming there’s a lot of parents out there whose kids have gone out and they think they are in one place and in fact they are somewhere else. And look what can happen. It’s hard when they are teenagers, but they need to be made aware of the dangers and what can happen if they do enter broken buildings, derelict places.
“It could have been anyone. It was just a tragic accident that should never have happened. And it’s just so unfortunate. Anyone could have been there at that time and got caught in it, not just ours so people just need to be aware these things can happen.”
When he eventually leaves the intensive care unit, Joanna has been told McKenzie will have to remain on the High Dependency Burns Unit for the “foreseeable future.”
Two close family friends, Terri Burns and Nat Wyciszkiewicz set up a GoFundMe fundraising page on McKenzie's behalf. So far they have raised over £1,600 of their £5,000 target. All donations will go towards things needed for McKenzie’s rehabilitation and recovery.
Joanna said. “He’s got a very long road ahead of him. We don’t yet know what the full effects of his injuries will be but we know it’s going to be tough. There will likely lots of things he needs to help with his recovery so this will be a huge help and I’m so grateful.”
To make a donation to the fundraising appeal for McKenzie click here.
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