A Scots mum whose daughter fell into a scalding bath when she was a toddler has urged other parents to be aware of the dangers of tap water burns.
Little Courtney Abrahams was just three-years-old when she tumbled into the water after reaching for a toy in 2018. The tot was left with more than a quarter of her body covered in blisters and had to spend weeks wrapped in bandages to heal her injuries.
The youngster still struggled to walk two months after the incident. Four years on from the accident, Courtney's mum, Chloe, wants other mums and dads to be aware of the dangers of scalding hot water in light of Burns Awareness Day.
The mum, from Kirkcaldy in Fife, said: "I would never have thought that tap water could burn so badly. The pain Courtney went through just from lifting her into a different position on the hospital bed still breaks my heart when I think about it.
"Seeing my daughter in that state was the worst thing I’ve ever been through. I would like other families to know that you can turn the water temperature down on your boiler.
"If we had known that - things might have been different for us.”
Chloe told how she heard loud screams before finding her daughter covered in bulging blisters. The mum stripped off her clothes and wrapped a wet towel around her before rushing the tot to the Royal Hospital for Children and Young People (RHCYP) in Edinburgh.
Courtney was immediately transferred to the high-dependency unit. There, she was sent in to theatre every few days to have her burns scrubbed and redressed to prevent any infections.
Her little thighs and feet received the worst damage as her socks and pants pinned the scalding water to her skin. After being released from hospital, Courtney’s feet had to stay bandaged for over a month.
The tot, now seven, spent years battling back to full health after she suffered the devastating burns, with regular physiotherapy alongside numerous painful painful procedures. She also attended other appointments for over a year to aid her recovery and help with the inevitable scarring.
Chloe added: “I honestly can't thank all the amazing doctors and nurses at the RHCYP enough. Courtney is now seven and is doing great. She has lots of scars but she doesn't let them define her."
According to the Burns and Plastics Clinic at the RHCYP, burns are the most common household injury with over 7,000 children suffering serious burns or scalds in the UK in 2021.
As Halloween and bonfire night approaches Rosie Bainsfair, Burns & Plastics Nurse Specialist at the RHCYP, said: “Many of the children we see at the RHCYP in Edinburgh are injured in accidents around the house, involving very common things like hot drinks, irons or hair straighteners. If your child has a burn or scald, follow this simple ‘STOP’ first aid advice".
The STOP first aid avice follows:
- S trip clothes, jewellery or nappies off (unless they are stuck to the skin).
- T urn on a cold tap or shower and run the burn under cool water for 20 minutes whilst keeping the child warm. Do not use ice.
- O rganise medical assistance – attend A and E or dial 999.
- P rotect the burn with cling film, provide painkillers and keep the child warm.
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