A toddler was left with second-degree burns after accidentally scalding herself with hot tea. Bella, who was just one and a half years old at the time, pulled a hot mug of tea off the table, spilling it down her chest.
The little girl spent an hour in the operating theatre at a specialist burns facility in Plymouth and three days in hospital following the incident. Her parents, Tom Lomas and Alexandra Bennett, have decided to share their daughter’s harrowing story as a cautionary tale for other parents.
This comes as burn specialists in the South West are urging parents to exercise extra caution around hot drinks, following the release of statistics showing that last year 149 children were seriously scalded and required specialist treatment in the region – most of them under the age of two. Tom, who lives with his partner and Bella’s mum Alexandra, described the horrific moment which he says ‘happened in the blink of an eye’.
He said: “It was breakfast time, and we’d put a cup of the tea on the table as we always do, assuming it was out of reach. The hot water in the cup had been out of the kettle for less than three minutes. Bella was very confident on her feet for such a young age, the handle of the cup was facing the edge of the table. Bella grabbed the mug, which was quite heavy. As it fell, she has looked down and the hot drink has spilled all the way from her chin, shoulders and sternum.”
Tom quickly removed her dressing gown and baby grow. He recounted the harrowing ordeal: “I saw the skin peel away from her chest, Alexandra screamed. We called 999 who advised us to take her into a cool bath and pour cool water over the area. I took her into the bath first, my adrenalin had kicked in to take action, knowing that my partner was distraught.
“Six paramedics rushed in; my partner took over in the bath continuing to cool the burn. I’ll never forget the moment one of the paramedics took me aside and said ‘you are not bad parents’ and at this point the reality of what had happened kicked in and I felt the lowest I’d ever felt in my life.”
Bella and Alexandra were then rushed by ambulance to the Royal Devon and Exeter Hospital, with Tom following behind in his car. He continued: “They gave Bella painkillers, assessed the burn and applied a dressing over the area. Then said we needed to go to the burns service in Plymouth because between 11 and 13% of Bella’s body had been burned.
“When we arrived in Plymouth, the burns team were waiting for us and within two hours of arriving, she was in the operating theatre.”
The surgery was critical as Bella had second and first degree scalding around her chest, with less severe scalding to her chin and shoulders. Tom added: “It was the longest hour of my life waiting for Bella to come out of the operating theatre.”
Since the accident, the family has made countless trips to the hospital for dressing changes, an additional surgery, and Bella continues her treatment with silicone gel, wearing a pressure garment daily to aid her scarring recovery. Tom shared: “It’s been really emotional, and Bella has been through so much.
“In the past eight months Bella’s gone through two surgeries and 15 to 20 trips to the hospital to be where we are today. But despite everything she’s still a two year old who wants to go to the park and play with trains. We’re very grateful to all the NHS teams who have done an amazing job, not just looking after Bella, but also looking after myself and Alexandra. We also know Bella was very lucky not to have been more badly scalded.”
In an effort to prevent other families from enduring similar heartache, Tom has recounted his family’s harrowing experience in collaboration with the Children’s Burns Trust, stressing the importance of vigilance with young children around hot substances.
He said: “When you have young children, you lock the cupboards, but you assume they won’t be able to reach that hot drink, saucepan of boiling water or kettle but they can – they’re growing up so fast”.
Mr Chris Wearn, a leading Consultant Burns and Plastic Surgeon warned: “Hot drinks are found in every home and can be so dangerous. It’s important to take extra care especially if you have young children around. The most severe injuries can lead to lifelong scaring and years of treatment.”