Sunshine Coast child unable to walk after feet burns from hot water system

A 16-month-old boy is today undergoing his third surgery in eight days after 50 litres of scalding water came gushing into the garden where he was playing.

Leuca Gore underwent his third surgery in eight days on Monday following a “freak accident” involving a hot water system. Pictures: Supplied

A 16-month-old Sunshine Coast boy has been left unable to walk with debilitating third degree burns to his feet after a “freak malfunction” caused the hot water system at his home to ‘explode’.

The summer heat was blistering as little Leuca Blu Gore played in the garden on Sunday, February 12 and his mother, Ruby Smith, heard his bloodcurdling scream from around the corner.

She ran to Leuca and discovered him ankle-deep in a pool of “scalding hot” water which had come gushing from their hot water system.

“It wasn’t just a little overflow,” she said.

“It was this huge poly pipe pumping out probably 50 litres of water.”

Sunshine Coast boy Leuca Gore “loves the water” and spends his days swimming and playing with his family and tight-knit community. Picture: Supplied

Ms Smith said her son, who “loves water”, must have walked toward and into the flow not knowing it was boiling hot.

She phoned her own mum while in a state of “complete panic” who urged her to call an ambulance before rushing over with Ms Smith’s sister.

The three women ran Leuca’s feet under cold water for 20 to 30 minutes until the ambulance arrived and took him to the Sunshine Coast Hospital.

He was later transferred to the burns unit at the Queensland Children’s Hospital in Brisbane where he remains today and will stay for at least the next month.

Leuca underwent his third surgery in eight days on Monday following a “freak accident” involving a hot water system. Picture: Supplied

Leuca underwent his third surgery in just eight days on Monday morning.

“At this point it’s looking like we’re going to be here pretty long-term,” Ms Smith said.

“I don’t know when he’s going to be walking again. I don’t really know anything.”

What she does know is that the injury — and the intensive rehabilitation, physiotherapy, and skin graft surgery required to treat it — has “pretty much changed the course of our lives”.

Ms Smith and her family, including Leuca, Ms Smith’s partner Ben Gore, and Mr Gore’s two children, only moved into the private rental at Boreen Point where the “freak accident” took place about six months ago after falling victim to Queensland’s rental crisis.

Leuca’s mum said the 16-month-old is always adventuring, exploring, learning and “running towards” the water, whether it be the ocean, a lake, or a puddle. Picture: Supplied

The mum said she was only told in the days following the incident that the same issue had “potentially” happened at the property “one or two times” before she moved in.

Leuca’s family will be relocating to a new rental, also on the Sunshine Coast, in the next week or so while he continues treatment in hospital.

The “strong, brave, and happy little dude”, who has been walking since he was 10 months old and loves nothing more than to swim and play in nature, is struggling with his current circumstances.

All of the skin from his ankles down have been removed, his burns are being scrubbed every few days, and his feet are hooked up to a negative pressure machine which keeps his bandages tight, almost like a splint.

His doctors and family are concerned about the way his feet will heal and whether his range of motion will be limited in the future.

The road to recovery will be long, and entail many more surgeries, but he will not go it alone. Little Leuca is enveloped in the support of his family and tight-knit community, with more than 140 people offering financial assistance as well as their prayers and love in just a few days.

To donate to Leuca’s GoFundMe, click here.

Originally published as Sunshine Coast child unable to walk after feet burns from hot water system