A “BEAUTIFUL” four-year-old girl was left severely burned after a garden heater exploded in front of her.
Tay Boddington was engulfed in a ball of flames in the “horrendous” accident, according to her horrified parents.
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They are now calling for greater fire safety awareness so other families don’t have to go through the same ordeal.
Charlotte Woodman and Alan Boddington were at a family gathering with their little girl on May 12 when the “traumatic” events unfolded.
Tay was sitting near a garden heater, run by bioethanol, when it suddenly exploded after being lit.
The youngster was immediately set on fire.
Charlotte, 36, who runs School House Daycare in Guilsborough, Northamptonshire, said her daughter was a “ball of flames” and she desperately tried to “pat her down”.
Alan, 56, who runs a vehicle fleet management company, then rushed to place her body under running water in the bath.
Tay was taken to Northampton General Hospital before being transferred to Birmingham Children’s Hospital, where she is currently receiving treatment and “superb” NHS care at the Burns Centre.
The brave schoolgirl has undergone several skin grafts – where doctors have shaved off her hair to take skin from her scalp to place on parts of her body – but she faces further surgeries and has suffered significant nerve damage.
Since the couple, who live in Ravensthorpe, Northamptonshire, are feeling “overwhelmed” by this “traumatic” event, their friend Carly Chaplin, 37, is speaking out on their behalf.
With their permission, she has launched a fundraiser to support the family during this “devastating” time.
Together, they hope to raise more awareness to prevent this from happening to other families.
Carly said: “I am purely just a voice for them at the moment, but as always, they’re just so selfless.
“They want to plough all the money back into the community and the burns unit.
“This has been devastating and horrendous for them, but with the fundraiser, we’re hoping something positive can come from it.
“Our main message is prevention is better than cure.”
Carly, who lives in Guilsborough and works at School House Daycare where Tay attends five times a week, described the four-year-old as “the heart of the nursery”.
She said Tay is the “life and soul there”, she loves to help other babies and children, and she is a “lovely, beautiful girl”.
Carly, who has been friends with Charlotte for many years, said she was shocked and heartbroken by what happened.
She was on fire; she was a ball of flames. She is lucky to even be here
Carly Chaplin
“They were having a family BBQ and what we think happened is the heat compressed, [someone] went to light the heater, and it just went ‘bang’,” she said.
“She was pretty much in the wrong place at the wrong time.
“She was on fire; she was a ball of flames – that’s how Charlotte has described it. She is lucky to even be here.”
Charlotte tried to “pat her down” with the help of Tay’s brother Enzo, 11, but this didn’t dampen the blaze.
Alan then “swooped in” and carried Tay to the bath, putting her entire body under running water.
They called the emergency services and, after air and road ambulances arrived, along with the fire service, Tay was taken to hospital to be “stabilised”.
Doctors sent photos of the burns to Stoke Mandeville Hospital, but due to the “severity”, Tay was then taken via ambulance to the Burns Centre at Birmingham Children’s Hospital, where the wounds were cleaned and dressed.
‘Lost nerve endings’
“She is badly burned from her bottom lip down, her arms and legs, and she has so far had two surgeries, skin grafts, and there will be another surgery next week,” Carly said.
“She’s had to have her hair shaved because they’ve taken skin from the scalp – that skin apparently takes better – for her skin grafts, and she’s having all these IVs and drips.
“She’s lost nerve endings as well, and obviously her eyelashes and eyebrows have gone, but she’s still beautiful and she’s rocking it.”
According to the NHS, the initial first aid steps to treat a burn include immediately getting the person away from the heat source to stop the burning, removing any clothing or jewellery that is near the burned area of skin, apart from anything that is stuck to the skin, and cooling the burn with cool or lukewarm running water for 20 to 30 minutes.
While Charlotte and Alan do not know how long Tay will need to remain in hospital, or what will happen long term, they want to help educate others to prevent this from happening to anyone else.
Carly, with the help of other parents, has launched a GoFundMe page on their behalf, with a target of £10,000.
The couple are hoping to use the money to buy fire blankets for families at School House Daycare and the local community, and to give funds to the Burns Centre as the care has been “second to none”.
Carly, Charlotte and Alan are particularly keen to share their message as BBQs become more popular in the warmer months.
How to treat burns and scalds
BURNS and scalds are damage to the skin caused by heat.
A burn is caused by dry heat (e.g. an iron or fire), while a scald is caused by something wet (e.g. hot water or steam). Both are treated in the same way.
They can be very painful and may cause redness, peeling skin, swelling, white or charred skin.
To treat a burn, the person should be kept away from the heat source, their skin should be cooled, and any clothing or jewellery near the affected area should be removed.
The patient must also be kept warm, the burn wrapped in clingfilm, and painkillers can be given if needed.
In short, the NHS advises:
COOL
Let the area cool for 20 minutes under cool running water.
CALL
Dial 999, 111 or your GP for advice, depending on the severity of the wound.
COVER
Cover the burn loosely with clingfilm.
Source: NHS
Carly said: “I’m not just saying this, they’re known as the kindest people here.
“Charlotte always gives back, does things for the community via the nursery, she’s helped families out, myself included, and the same goes for Alan.
“They’re just very giving, kind people and that’s why I think people have been so receptive to the fundraiser.
“Life is so hard right now, and with everyone’s generosity, I think that’s what makes it even more overwhelming.”
A statement provided by Charlotte and Alan, via Carly, reads: “Our main focus at the moment is getting Tay healthy, healed, and happy again.
“It will then be trying to process this traumatic event as a family and to move forward navigating the challenges Tay may have ahead.
“We are overwhelmed with the kindness from people that have donated, and we cannot thank everyone enough.
“Our next step, when Tay is feeling better, will be to host a community event whereby we can raise awareness and educate families within our community about burns, immediate first aid that is required when someone is burned, and to also run workshops for children and adults highlighting the risks and dangers associated with barbecues and fires.
“We will also be donating to the Birmingham Children’s burn unit. We cannot thank the team here enough for all they are doing for Tay.”
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