Toddler suffers severe burns on hands and feet from common camping act

"I'll never forget his screams... I couldn't believe it was extinguished 12 hours earlier," the Queensland mum tells Kidspot.

Rachel Greenhalgh was five metres away from her son, Apollo, when the curious two-year-old ran into an extinguished fire pit at Lake Leslie Tourist Park on Sunday, March 23.

What she heard next will never leave her. 

“It happened so quickly, I remember saying ‘no Apollo’, because it’s a fire pit and knowing not to go near it, not thinking about it being hot,” Rachel tells Kidspot. 

Lying underneath the sand used to put the fire out, was hot embers. Apollo tripped in the pit, placing his bare hands and feet onto boiling coal. 

“I’ll never forget the screams my child made.”

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“I couldn’t get to him"

The family had stayed overnight at the popular holiday park to celebrate a family birthday.  Rachel was holding her eight-month-old son Leonardo, while packing the car to leave the grounds when she called her oldest son Apollo towards her.

Only metres from the car, he got distracted and walked into the fire pit, which had been extinguished 12 hours earlier.

“It had been put out the night before with water and sand – he thought it was just sand,” the 32-year-old tells Kidspot. 

The youngster recoiled and screamed in agony. Rachel froze in shock.

“I had Leo in my arms, I couldn’t get to him. My dad was next to him and bolted. Apollo was screaming and running around in pain – my dad took him straight to the showers,” she recalls. 

“Dad instantly knew to put him under cool water. My brother already had the shower running and Apollo was in it immediately. 

“If it was only me there, it would have been a lot longer and much worse.”

Image: Supplied

Apollo’s burns were deeper than first thought

Both of Apollo’s palms, his fingers, toes and the soles of feet were burned. 

Even though the family reacted promptly with appropriate first aid, it hasn’t stopped the shock of the incident impacting the family. 

“Apollo’s hands were red, and skin was peeling straight away in the showers. Dad still thinks he didn’t do enough, that’s how bad it was straight away. I am so blessed how quickly he reacted.”

After running water over the burns, the family drove to Warwick Hospital with a terrified Apollo screaming the entire way. He was quickly transported to the Burns Unit at the Royal Brisbane Hospital where the youngster had his first surgery.

Since then, Apollo has had two more surgeries. 

“At first, doctors said it wasn’t as bad as it could be, but after the second surgery, they said the healing wasn’t where they wanted it. Treatment will be longer than expected.”

The main concern is Apollo’s left hand and foot, which is in between a second and third-degree burn. Apollo is refusing to use his left hand – leaving medical staff concerned about the healing process. 

“When the pain medication kicks in, Apollo’s smiling and playing and doing all the normal things. But they’re worried about stiffness in his left hand,” Rachel says. 

“He’s starting to bite and hit out of frustration, which I’m told is normal after incidents like this.”

Image: Supplied

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Rachel has had to leave Apollo in hospital 

Adding to the family’s anxiety, is financial stress. Rachel has been forced to leave Apollo in hospital with his dad Chris, so she can return home to work. 

“I hate it. I feel like I’m going to miss something,” she says of being two hours away from Apollo.

“I haven’t been sleeping. But we don’t have any other option. I’ve got to keep a roof over our head.”

A GoFundMe page has been set up by Rachel’s aunty, Jane Anderssen, to support the family who are on a “indefinite timeline” for Apollo’s recovery. 

“Who knows what medical bills lie ahead, they still have rent and food to buy, and Rach has only just gone back to work after maternity leave, and doesn't have any leave available to use,” she writes on the fundraising page. 

“I have started this to help Rach and Chris to give Apollo the best support they can by being able to be together in hospital in Brisbane as long as Apollo needs.”

Reminder to all parents

Doctors were quick to praise the family for how fast they applied first aid to Apollo. But it serves as a reminder to families camping over the upcoming Easter holidays, that fire pits are a hazard, always. 

Children should be encouraged to wear shoes in campsites. 

“I did not comprehend or think how hot it could be hours after it was put out, even with sand and water,” Rachel admits.

“We were right there next to him, and it still happened.” 

How to treat a burn

According to the Raising Children website:

Call an ambulance by phoning 000 if a burn is severe, large or to the child's face, hands, genitals or airway.

Go to your GP or your local hospital if you're not sure how severe a burn is.

Then take the following first aid steps:

1. 1. Make sure the area is safe, and there’s no further risk of injury. Take the child to a safe place if possible.
   2. Take off any clothing (including nappies) or jewelry around the burn, but only if it’s not stuck to the skin and only if you can do so without causing more pain or injury. You might have to cut clothes to remove them.
   3. As soon as possible, hold the burned area under cool running water for a total of 20 minutes. This will reduce tissue damage and pain.
   4. When you’ve finished the water treatment or while you’re taking the child to see a doctor, cover the burn with a loose, light, non-sticky dressing like plastic wrap or a clear plastic bag.
   5. Raise burned limbs. Cover your child with a blanket and keep them warm. This helps prevent hypothermia.

Originally published as Toddler suffers severe burns on hands and feet from common camping act