'I’d always worried I’d freeze in a moment like this. One thing saved me'

If something went wrong tomorrow… would you know what to do?

You never truly comprehend how fast a toddler can move, until it lands you in an emergency room.

Last week, it was me, my husband and son learning exactly what can unfold in a split second.

I learned how deep guilt can go, and how terrifying the what-ifs can really become. 

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Split seconds are faster than you think

I also learned how thankful I was for something I’d nearly forgotten: a baby and child first aid course I’d taken during paternity leave.

That one class? Hands down, the best money I’ve ever spent.

It took a potential nightmare and turned it into a bad dream. 

I’d been taking a 20-minute break. I’d been home all week with my son, who was sick with hand, foot and mouth. The overstimulation was intense.

My husband told me to have a shower—unwind, breathe. While I did, he started prepping dinner.

He was making two-minute noodles with some of our son’s favourite vegetables. Simple. Familiar.

In the span of a second, while his back was turned, our son tipped the hot water, meant for the noodles, down the front of his shirt and onto his chest.

He screamed.

There was no crash, no splatter. No puddles to suggest what had happened. My husband didn’t understand—until he picked him up to comfort him and saw the redness creeping up his neck.

He ripped his shirt off and saw the burn.

That’s when I came out of the bathroom, to my husband rushing toward me, our son in his arms, wailing. His shirt off, chest and stomach, red and blistering.

I had to swallow the shock and act.  

The burns could have been so much worse had first aid not been administered. Image: Supplied.

I’d always worried I’d freeze in a moment like this. That I’d forget everything I learned in first aid.

It was a dumb concern. 

The second I saw my son, my brain switched into a mode I never knew it had. I raced to him, took him from my husband, and immediately began stripping him down.

I asked my husband to start up the shower on a cool setting and prepare his phone with a 20-minute timer.

While he did that, I kept stripping my son. I knew the nappy he was wearing could absorb liquids, and if it had absorbed any of the hot water, the burn could extend into his nappy area. Thankfully, that hadn’t happened.

While fully clothed, I stepped into the shower, holding my son under the spray while my husband started the clock on the longest 20 minutes I’ve ever faced.

My little boy was in agony. I had to hold him as he kicked, confused as to why mummy was suddenly putting him into the shower while he was in so much pain.

Eventually, my husband took over holding him in the shower (also fully clothed), so I could race around the house and pull together a bag for the hospital.

When we arrived, triage saw us immediately and gave us a bed. We explained what happened to the nurses. They gave my son pain relief, and we all made a silent agreement to get him smiling again.

Fortunately, he’d already had Panadol in his system due to the hand, foot and mouth symptoms he’d been dealing with prior to the burn. (Did I mention last week was a WEEK?)

Each nurse praised us for our first aid response and told us we’d made a major difference to our little boy’s treatment plan.

My husband and I sat there, riddled with guilt. I had to reassure him that these things do happen. We’re not the first parents in the world this has happened to. We won’t be the last.

Even now it still stings. Even now we're both a little too hard on ourselves. I doubt we'll ever get over that part. 

But in that moment we had to focus on the bright side. We did exactly what we were meant to do.  

It's currently burns awareness month. Image: Supplied

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It's a harsh reminder 

We spent a few hours in the emergency room where nurses dressed his burn and instructed us to come back within 48 hours. 

He was asked to fast before that appointment and have some Nurofen and Panadol beforehand to prepare him for the pain. The kicker? That appointment was on his birthday. Poor kid.

To top it off, we walked into the ward to see a giant “Burns Awareness Month” display—complete with a pot noodle packet sitting on display. 

We have to go back once more later this week where they’ll make further assessment, however nurses are confident he will heal nicely. 

"First aid makes all the difference," she had told us. 

While some might read this article and judge us as parents, others might read it and Google first aid courses in their local community. 

Raising Children Australia’s advice is to hold the burned area under cool running water for 20 minutes. Call 000 if the burn is severe, affects the face, airway, hands or genitals, or covers large parts of the body.

When I got home from the hospital and put my son to bed that horrific night, I felt comfort in knowing he was safe. In knowing I’d done my best by him. The my mum mode kicked in just when I had needed it to.

That’s all thanks to one first aid course during my paternity leave.  

Originally published as 'I’d always worried I’d freeze in a moment like this. One thing saved me'