'Melted to her skin': 8yo girl suffers severe burns in knock-off dressing gown

“The whole household was very distraught because she was screaming bloody murder. No one could look at her without crying,” the heartbroken QLD mum said.

An eight-year-old has suffered third-degree burns to her face and body after purchasing an Oodie knock-off from retail giant Temu. 

On July 13, 8yo, Daniella was sitting in front of the firepit with friends and family at her home in the Fraser Coast region of Queensland. 

Wearing a lilac-coloured knockoff Oodie she received as a birthday gift, Daniella was standing near the fire when a large gust of wind blew the flame towards her body. 

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Daniella suffered third-degree burns to 13 per cent of her body. Picture: Daily Mail/GoFundMe

Girl suffers third-degree burns in knock-off Oodie

The off-brand blanket nightgown, which was made from “cheap and nasty” synthetic polyester fabric, was instantly engulfed in flames and began “wrapping” her body.

“She was just standing near a fire, and there was a bit of wind, and it goes up like nothing,” her mum Hannah told the Daily Mail. “It melted to plastic onto her skin.”

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Fire engulfed the 8yo’s face and body; the plastic fabric stuck to her hand, her forearm, her upper arm and her chest. 

She also suffered a “flash burn on her face”, her mum recalled.  

The girl was rushed to the bathroom, where she was placed under the shower; as they washed away the burns, chunks of her skin came along with it. 

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“The whole household was very distraught because she was screaming bloody murder,” her mother told 7News. “No one could look at her without crying.”

She was rushed to Hervey Bay Hospital but was airlifted to the Queensland Children’s Hospital in Brisbane the next day to undergo surgery on her burns. 

The child suffered burns to 13 per cent of her body and is going to require “constant surgeries” and ongoing treatments. “She’s going to need grafts and plastic surgery. She has quite significant burns on her right chest.”

As the burns are located on “parts that are constantly growing” in her body, such as her forearms and biceps, she will require ongoing surgery and possible scarring. “For the next six to 12 months, we have to constantly do dressing changes and everything,” her mum said. 

Thankfully, the medical team have been able to reduce the dressings on the 8yo; however, this means she is seeing the immense damage it has done to her skin. “And there's trauma related to that because she remembers the skin falling off,” mum Hannah said. “She doesn't think she's going to be beautiful again.” 

Daniella, who has ADHD and autism, has not been handling the situation very well, her mother said, initially “ripping” out her cannula, catheter and feeding tubes. 

The 8yo has since tested positive for methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), an infection caused by staph bacteria, so she must isolate in the hospital ward, “which any 8yo doesn't handle very well”. 

RELATED: ‘Don’t get burns first aid wrong… your child is relying on you’

Daniella is worried she won't "be beautiful again". Pictir: GoFundMe

"They don't say anything about them being so highly flammable"

Daniella’s mother has since spoken to other parents of children in the burns unit, who have experienced the same outcome after purchasing from “cheap brands”. 

Unlike the authorised Oodie, which complies with Australian safety standards, the knockoff versions available on online marketplaces like Temu do not have to follow the same standards. 

“It's very common with these sorts of [knock-off] brands to catch on fire,” Daniella’s mum told Daily Mail. 

According to Hannah, the blanket reproduction didn’t offer any safety notices other than washing instructions. “They don't say anything about them being so highly flammable; they just say not to put them in the dryer,” she said. 

Since the horrific incident, Hannah has thrown out every type of hoodie the family owns, lest it happen again. 

Speaking to Daily Mail, a spokesperson from Temu confirmed they would conduct an investigation into the incident and extended their apologies to the Queensland family.

“We are deeply saddened to hear about the accident involving Daniella and extend our heartfelt sympathies to her and her family during this difficult time,” the spokesperson said. 

“We want to assure them that we are taking this matter very seriously. Even though we have not yet received the purchase order details, we have already initiated an internal investigation. 

The Chinese retailer added they were “actively reviewing” the product listings and seller records. “We are committed to a thorough investigation and taking appropriate action,” they said.

The family have set up a GoFundMe campaign to support the girl's recovery; you can find more information about the fundraiser here. 

Originally published as 'Melted to her skin': 8yo girl suffers severe burns in knock-off dressing gown