Toddler’s burns pain a lesson for parents

A BRAVE Launceston mother has told of the heartwrenching moment her infant son tripped and fell onto a lit wood heater, causing serious burns to his face and arms.

Stacey Cleaver is now urging other parents to do whatever they can to prevent burns around the home.

She and her partner Zane Talbot had just lit their wood heater on May 1, and were playing hide-and-seek with one-year-old Kaidan when he tripped on the hearth and fell head first onto the scalding metal. Before Mr Talbot could pick him up, Kaidan pushed off the heater, burning his hands and arms.

“I raced and turned on the water, rang the ambulance and we kept him under the shower until the ambulance got here,” Ms Cleaver said.

Kaidan had burns covering more than 5 per cent of his body and was flown to Hobart for treatment.

After several surgeries, skin grafts and more than a month in hospital, Kaidan is now home.

His forehead and left hand have healed well, but his right hand is not yet opening.

Ms Cleaver said Kaidan’s recovery would require more surgeries and 12 weeks of physiotherapy.

She said the accident was “one of those moments where your heart just sinks”.

Ms Cleaver said parents should have a protective screen for their wood heater or fire place and use it.

“It’s not worth the risk. It’s maybe $60 or $70 for a screen. Go buy it,” she said.

“To see what he’s been through in the last month, I’d never wish that on anyone.

“It made it harder for us because it was our fault. We should have had the guard there, and we knew that.”

June is National Burns Awareness Month, and Kidsafe Tasmania is encouraging parents to use their Burns Safety Checklist to ensure they are aware of the correct first aid steps to take in the event that someone sustains a burn.

Recently released data from the Burns Registry of Australia and New Zealand showed that in 2018-19, 906 children aged under 15 years old were admitted to burns units across the two countries — about 17 a week.

The home is the most common location for childhood burn injuries, with the majority occurring in the kitchen and more than a third when the child was near someone cooking.