Notts parents warned of the risks of burns

Nottinghamshire families are being warned of the risks of burns after a little girl's dress caught fire while she was wearing it and went up like '˜tissue paper'.
Adanae Liburd-GrahamAdanae Liburd-Graham
Adanae Liburd-Graham

The parents of nine-year-old Adanae Liburd-Graham have praised the care she received at Nottingham Queen’s Medical Centre after a spark from a fire place set her dress alight.

Mum Nicola said: “Her dress just went up like tissue paper. Adanae was just running around the house.

“We started trying to bat the flames out but we were getting burnt ourselves. I’ve done first aid but we couldn’t get her to stop and do stop, drop and roll. I just thought ‘oh my god – get water!’

“We wrapped her in cold wet towels and then took her to QMC.

The staff at QMC have been excellent. They have been extremely helpful and supportive. I don’t think without the support of the staff on the burns unit we would have coped.”

The youngster suffered 32 per cent burns to her body and spent six weeks being treated at QMC and Birmingham Children’s Hospital.

Their experience has led them to raise awareness among parents that children’s day clothes are not made from flame retardant materials unlike night ware. Nicola is keen parents heed advice on how to reduce the risks of children burning themselves and what action to take if they do and has told their story as part of Child Safety Week.

Andrea Cronshaw, clinical nurse at Nottingham Children’s Hospital, said: “A split second accident from a burn can cause many years of hospital treatment and a lifelong disfigurement. Scalds from cups of tea and coffee are the most preventable injuries when you have crawling babies and active toddlers. A hot drink that has been made for 15 minutes can still cause a serious burn, so make sure hot drinks are out of reach.”

She added: “If you or your child does receive a burn remember first aid is vital and can make a huge difference in recovery time and severity of potential scarring. It is important to remember if you are on fire or an item of clothing is on fire to STOP, DROP, and ROLL. Additionally first aid from the British Burns Association is to COOL, CALL. COVER.

“Cool the burns with running water for 20 minutes and to remove all jewellery and clothing where possible. Call for help: 999,111 or local GP for advice. Cover the burns with cling film or a sterile non-fluffy dressing and to make sure the patient is kept warm.”