Dad issues urgent warning after hot tea burn left toddler scarred for life

Bella, present 2 years old, spent 3 days recovering successful infirmary (Image: NHS England / SWNS)

A toddler was near with second-degree burns aft accidentally scalding herself with blistery tea. Bella, who was conscionable 1 and a fractional years aged astatine the time, pulled a blistery mug of beverage disconnected the table, spilling it down her chest.

The small miss spent an hr successful the operating theatre astatine a specializer burns installation successful Plymouth and 3 days successful hospital pursuing the incident. Her parents, Tom Lomas and Alexandra Bennett, person decided to stock their daughter's harrowing communicative arsenic a cautionary communicative for different parents.

This comes arsenic pain specialists successful the South West are urging parents to workout other caution around blistery drinks, pursuing the merchandise of statistic showing that past twelvemonth 149 children were earnestly scalded and required specializer attraction successful the portion - astir of them nether the property of two. Tom, who lives with his spouse and Bella's mum Alexandra, described the horrific infinitesimal which helium says 'happened successful the blink of an eye'.

He said: "It was meal time, and we’d enactment a cupful of the beverage connected the array arsenic we ever do, assuming it was retired of reach. The blistery h2o successful the cupful had been retired of the kettle for little than 3 minutes. Bella was precise assured connected her feet for specified a young age, the grip of the cupful was facing the borderline of the table. Bella grabbed the mug, which was rather heavy. As it fell, she has looked down and the blistery portion has spilled each the mode from her chin, shoulders and sternum."

Tom rapidly removed her dressing gown and babe grow. He recounted the harrowing ordeal: "I saw the tegument peel distant from her chest, Alexandra screamed. We called 999 who advised america to instrumentality her into a chill bath and determination chill h2o implicit the area. I took her into the bath first, my adrenalin had kicked successful to instrumentality action, knowing that my spouse was distraught.

"Six paramedics rushed in; my spouse took implicit successful the bath continuing to chill the burn. I’ll ne'er hide the infinitesimal 1 of the paramedics took maine speech and said ‘you are not atrocious parents’ and astatine this constituent the world of what had happened kicked successful and I felt the lowest I’d ever felt successful my life."

Bella and Alexandra were past rushed by ambulance to the Royal Devon and Exeter Hospital, with Tom pursuing down successful his car. He continued: "They gave Bella painkillers, assessed the pain and applied a dressing implicit the area. Then said we needed to spell to the burns work successful Plymouth due to the fact that betwixt 11 and 13% of Bella’s assemblage had been burned.

"When we arrived successful Plymouth, the burns squad were waiting for america and wrong 2 hours of arriving, she was successful the operating theatre."

The country was captious arsenic Bella had 2nd and archetypal grade scalding astir her chest, with little terrible scalding to her chin and shoulders. Tom added: "It was the longest hr of my beingness waiting for Bella to travel retired of the operating theatre."

Since the accident, the household has made countless trips to the infirmary for dressing changes, an further surgery, and Bella continues her attraction with silicone gel, wearing a unit garment regular to assistance her scarring recovery. Tom shared: "It’s been truly emotional, and Bella has been done truthful much.

"In the past 8 months Bella’s gone done 2 surgeries and 15 to 20 trips to the infirmary to beryllium wherever we are today. But contempt everything she’s inactive a 2 twelvemonth aged who wants to spell to the parkland and play with trains. We’re precise grateful to each the NHS teams who person done an astonishing job, not conscionable looking aft Bella, but besides looking aft myself and Alexandra. We besides cognize Bella was precise fortunate not to person been much severely scalded."

In an effort to forestall different families from enduring akin heartache, Tom has recounted his family's harrowing acquisition successful collaboration with the Children’s Burns Trust, stressing the value of vigilance with young children astir blistery substances.

He said: "When you person young children, you fastener the cupboards, but you presume they won’t beryllium capable to scope that blistery drink, saucepan of boiling h2o oregon kettle but they tin – they’re increasing up truthful fast".

Mr Chris Wearn, a starring Consultant Burns and Plastic Surgeon warned: "Hot drinks are recovered successful each location and tin beryllium truthful dangerous. It’s important to instrumentality other attraction particularly if you person young children around. The astir terrible injuries tin pb to lifelong scaring and years of treatment."