Bella was just one and a half when she pulled a hot mug of tea off the table and down her chest – she spent an hour in the operating theatre and three days in hospital
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 warning to other parents.
This comes as burn specialists in the South West are urging parents to be extra cautious around hot drinks, following statistics showing that last year 149 children were seriously scalded and needed specialist treatment in the region – most 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’.
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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 babygrow. 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.”
After the accident, Bella and Alexandra were taken by ambulance to the Royal Devon and Exeter Hospital, with Tom following 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.”
The surgery was necessary due to second and first degree scalding around Bella’s chest, as well as 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 then, the family has made countless trips to the hospital for dressing changes, additional surgery, and Bella continues to receive treatment with silicone gel. She also wears a pressure garment daily to help manage her scarring.
Tom shared: “It’s been really emotional, and Bella has been through so much. In the past eight months Bella’s undergone two surgeries and 15 to 20 hospital visits to get 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 incredibly grateful to all the NHS teams who have done an outstanding job, not just caring for Bella, but also supporting myself and Alexandra. We also recognise that Bella was fortunate not to have been more severely scalded.”
Tom has decided to share his family’s experience in collaboration with the Children’s Burns Trust, hoping to prevent another family from experiencing the same ordeal as their daughter. “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 top Consultant Burns and Plastic Surgeon at North Bristol NHS Trust 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 scarring and years of treatment.”
