Burns are close to home

When this little person turned 3, we took him for a cookie (his request) at one of the highstreet coffee house chains. He was super excited about a cookie that was as big as the size of his head and we were glad to have a few moments to stop and enjoy our mandatory parental coffee reward.

As my beverage of choice was a cappuccino, I sent him over to the stand where they keep all the sprinkling materials - cinnamon, chocolate, etc. At the same time as he arrived at the stand, a lady went to move away from it - with a freshly made coffee held in her hand. She did not notice him under her arm as she turned her cup knocked into him, spilling her coffee over his head and face.

What followed next stunned me the most - the lady continued onto her seat undeterred and engaged in conversation with her friend. No reaction whatsoever.

My boy ran to me, holding in his cries, shocked, wide eyed, clearly in pain and looking to me for reassurance and help, lips trembling.

I ran to the counter, in short snappy sentences explained my son just got burned and asked for help. I was presented with a cup filled with ice. I wasn't sure what I was meant to do with that?! I asked for cool water, lots of it, and a clean cloth, eventually ending up with a cup that was half filled with ice and half with water, and a clean jay cloth.

We sat at our table, our own drinks long forgotten, promising many-many supersize cookies to the little boy, who was being ever so brave, whilst his parents soaked his head and face in chilled water using a thin blue cloth while he silently wept. I have no idea what this scene must have looked like to the newcomers into the cafe! The lady who spilt her coffee carried on her conversation with her friend - was it shock, ignorance, fear? To be honest I didn't care in that moment - I just wanted my boy not to hurt and for him to be OK.

I find myself holding my breath as I tease out these uncomfortable memories, which he does not remember and yet - they live in my mind's eye like it literally just happened. My little person is absolutely fine and still adores his ginormous cookies!

But here's the deal. I was the Burn Care Advisor for the South East Region who taught "this stuff" and MY SON GOT BURNED with a hot cup of coffee!

Burns are not something that happens to someone else. Burns happen to people we love and care about, and they happen close to home, often IN our homes, often - in front of our parental, protective, loving eyes! And quite likely - we or the people around us, will not know the first steps to take in caring for their burn injury!

I consider this a rather significant "near miss" in our lives, but am grateful that - that's all it was. But in a moment, in a flash - things could have been very-very different.

If you're a parent, someone who works with children, someone who cares for children, or someone who works where children eat and play, then please consider signing up for a bunch of FREE webinars running in June as part of #childsafetyweek!

Join me and #ourmarvellousteams as we discuss #burns #prevention and #FirstAid in the home, so that - when called upon, we wouldn't be left holding a cup of ice!

8th June 2021 at 13:00 Eventbrite with Childrens Burns Trust and Child Accident Prevention Trust https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/child-safety-week-2021-burn-prevention-and-first-aid-webinar-tickets-153455833529?aff=CBTSocial

10th June 2021 at 12:30 Facebook Live with Rob Lyon and Regen Medical Ltd 

10th June 2021 at 16:00 "Saving Lives is Not Enough" with Jill Paterson of Leigh Day, Johanne Harrison of the Katie Piper Foundation and David Wales from SharedAim https://us06web.zoom.us/webinar/register/6116207479225/WN__UNu92-mT1yIRDmvU4h4-g