ur daughter Myer was involved in a tragic accident at home on the 30th May 2018 involving a candle. This resulted in 3rd degree burns to her forehead and ear. She had to stay to stay in hospital for 5 days receiving treatment for her burns. But unfortunately it didn’t heal so she ended up having a skin graft. When we was in hospital we met Tracey the play specialist who told us about burns camp. Burns camp means a lot to us because we get to meet other family’s and children who have been through the same. It’s so nice to open up and not be judged from what happened. Myer can be herself amongst other children that have been through the same trauma as herself. Burns Camp as helped us as a family.
We can’t thank Tracy and all the volunteers enough for what they do we wouldn’t be where we are today if it wasn’t for them and Burns Camp ❤️ xxx
Our son Spencer was unfortunately scolded by a cup of hot water 2years ago and has been on the long road to recovery. During this time we have been supported by the Family Burns Club who have been amazing. This year Spencer received a very special video cal from Santa himself! Spencer and his brother were very excited about speaking to Santa they told him what the would like for Christmas and spoke about what they had been doing this year. It was a lovely experience made possible by the Family Burns Club. Thank you to everyone one of you that made this happen we have made some lovely memories to treasure forever.
? Hi everyone hope you all had a happy Halloween ? ?♀️We was not able to have our traditional Halloween party this year ??So we had a bit of Halloween fun?We have a few fantastically ghoulish pictures ? costumes?♀️ pumpkins ? decorations and jokes ??♂️ Halloween fun ??♀️Here are a few of the fun times ;
When I was 18 months old, I was involved in a scalding accident causing 33% burns to my body. As I grew up I struggled not only physically, but mentally too. I didn’t understand why I was so different to the other children. I struggled to adapt socially and didn’t feel comfortable partaking in group activities in school, public speaking was especially a battle to overcome.
A lot of my childhood was spent in and out of the hospital, scheduling multiple operations for skin grafts and manipulating the burns so that they would grow with me – as most of them are over my chest and left shoulder, every growth spurt meant another operation.
I was introduced to Burns Club when I was in primary school, it was recommended to me as a last resort to try and help me cope with the mental blocks and trauma that the burns had caused. As a child I always felt that I had something taken away from me and I would never get it back – I always struggled with the aspect of people not being content with their appearance, as I knew it was something that they themselves could easily change if they had set their mind to it. But for me, the scars were there forever. I could not change that. And that prospect took a long time for me to cope with. Looking back, I am thankful, because it makes me appreciate what I do have and not what I may have lost in the past.
Becoming a member of a Burns Club felt like more of a community than a club, it was filled with dedicated volunteers, specialists and most of all – children just like me. It was a charity that I felt lucky to be a part of. I met children with burns just like me, some were more severe, some were older and some were very young. But we all connected in the same way. The friends I met when I was 6 – I still keep in contact with now – which is incredible. Each year I’d look forward to the different events and activities the club would organise. My favourite was the week long camping trip in the summer– we would do the most amazing activities! From kayaking to rock climbing to arts and crafts. We’d all talk to each other about our experiences without judgement. Everyone felt accepted. Confidence grew and I no longer felt ashamed, I loved telling everyone at school about all of the activities we’d do and the children at school were fascinated. A lot of them thought my scars were pretty cool and I’d always prepare myself for the questions, but I didn’t dread them like I usually would. As I got older and moved up to high school, college, university and even onto my dream job – I knew that these questions were coming, and I prepared myself for them. Thankfully I’ve always been surrounded by a positive support system – my family, my friends and my partner have always loved and supported me regardless and it just shows. The scars and the trauma can not and will not stop anyone from following their dreams, because personality shines through everything.
My last burns camp came when I turned 17, my last operation came when I turned 18. And 10 years later, I could not be more thankful for the Burns Club.
So thank you for being such a positive experience and attribute to my life.
I was in the kitchen making myself my last cup of tea for the evening. I hadn’t noticed Rhys, my 15-month old son, wonder in behind me. I poured the boiling water into my pint mug and put the kettle back, as I turned round again to face my cup it was too late! Rhys just managed to reach his fingers onto the rim of the cup and pull it over himself. The screams!! I just pulled his top over his head as quick, as I could. I could see the steam coming off him, and his dad pulled his is PJ bottoms down.I ran his arm under the tap in the kitchen sink and his outer skin just slipped off like a latex glove.The 999 operator told me to go in the shower with him on cool. I was still in there by the time the paramedics arrived.They took us to the nearest hospital and when assessed we had to move to a specialised burns unit.I’m so grateful that they did as this is where I met Tracy foster (founder of family Burns club) who not only supported Rhys, but also supported me and the rest of the family.It was in this club that we met all the families in the same situation as us. It’s the guilt that gets the parents and being able to talk to other parents that have gone through a similar experience makes you realise it wasn’t their fault therefore it helps you understand that it wasn’t really your fault.I’m sure the boys have all compared scares at one time or another, and also compared stories, to see who’s the coolest.Rhys is one of the lucky ones because he doesn’t remember that night, not all scars are visible, mine certainly aren’t.Knowing I have the support of everybody at Family Burns Club is a big relief.It’s a vital part of the recovery system for the whole family.If it wasn’t for this club I don’t know if Rhys would have accepted his scars as well as he has. Thanks Family Burns Club!
My 8 year old son was helping hoover up one night and the hoover accidently tipped over when he used the pipe. This caused a bad friction burn on my 1 year old son’s left foot as he was on the floor crawling at the time. It took roughtly about 3 months to heal but hasnt caused him any problems standing or walking. All staff that have dealt with him have been amazing and so polite, friendly. They also have kept us in the loop about things they are planning. It has helped us so much as in the future we can meet people who have had the same situations and speak about how its made them feel. We already have made one friend through the burns club.
In 2015 my daughter Catherine who was 13 months old at the time, had returned home from a walk in her pushchair with her grandma. Upon their return Catherine was asleep, grandma made a cup of tea, left it on the draining board whilst she went to let a now awake Catherine out of her pushchair. Whilst my mum folded the pushchair away Catherine ventured to the worktop and pulled a tea towel down, which in turn made the hot cup of tea tip over and onto her. My mum couldn’t get to her in time to stop the hot liquid covering her, however she did manage to knock the cup out of the way of her face, instead the contents fell onto her chest and arm. I was upstairs at the time, and heard Catherine screaming and my mum shouting me. I rushed downstairs and saw the scene which will stay with me for life. My poor Catherine was screaming like I have never heard before. I called 999 and we were advised to put Catherine in the bath tub with a flow of water from the shower head over her burnt areas until the ambulance arrived.
The paramedics were fantastic, they acted fast and before we knew it we were on our way to Leeds General Infirmary. When we arrived, Catherine was taken straight away to a room with a baby bath in it and we were advised to keep bathing the burns in water. She was also given some pain relief. After a short while the nurse said that the LGI are not equipped to deal with this kind of emergency, so they advised us to go straight to Pinderfields Hospital. Catherine’s burns were wrapped in clingfilm, and we made our way to Pinderfields Hospital. Catherine stayed at Pinderfields overnight.
The next morning, Catherine’s burns were examined by a doctor on the ward. He told us they were superficial partial burns to her arms, and deep partial burns to her chest. Her burns were cleaned and dressed in bandages. Catherine was very brave during this process, she was in a lot of pain, but Tracey from Family Burns Club did an amazing job at calming both her and I. We needed to come back to Pinderfields every other day for Catherine’s burns to be cleaned and dressings to be changed.
Three weeks post burn we went back to Pinderfields for the routine clean and dressing, at which point we were told the burn was not healing as well as it should be. It had turned quite raised, red and bumpy. The doctor said it might have an infection, we were told to come back next week to start some antibiotics if it hadn’t improved. Luckily when we went back it had very much improved, therefore bandages were reduced and we were able to start treatment at home, using bathing, massage and application of Scarcil and Mepiform.
Upon another steroid clinic we were advised that Catherine would need a course of steroid injections, administered under general anaesthetic. The injections would reduce the swelling of the scars. Catherine had three steroid injections over the space of a year. Each time Tracy from Family Burns Club was there to help calm Catherine as the anaesthetist administered the aesthetic. As upsetting as it was, Catherine took all three injections in her stride, and it seemed the injections worked well. A while after her last injection we had out final scar clinic, where Catherine was totally discharged from Pinderfields Paediatric Burns Unit.
As much as the medical treatment chapter of Catherine’s ordeal is over, the psychological affects of her burns are a current worry. Over the summer she was reluctant to wear clothes where others would see her scars (I had to bribe her with chocolate on a very hot day to wear something light and airy), she has just started reception and is worried about people seeing them as she gets changed for PE. I hope that Catherine grows to embrace her scars, and that she feels proud of the beautiful person she is. With the help of Family Burns Club, Catherine can spend time with other burn injured children which has really helped her, this year as I know her scaring is bothering her more than it used to. We are so very proud of her, and so very grateful for excellent support and care she has received along the way from the paramedics, hospital staff and Family Burns Club.
