Kirkcaldy girl’s recovery from horrific burns after falling into scalding bath

Little Courtney Abrahams, now seven, spent years battling back to full health after she suffered devastating burns to more than a quarter of her body.

The schoolgirl, from Kirkcaldy, had to undergo numerous painful procedures and physiotherapy at the Royal Hospital for Children and Young People (RHCYP) in Edinburgh following the accident.

Her mum spoke out to highlight Burns Awareness Day and urged parents to be aware of potential burns hazards around the home.

Chloe said: “I would never have thought that tap water could burn so badly.

“The pain Courtney went through just from lifting her into a different position on the hospital bed still breaks my heart when I think about it. Seeing my daughter in that state was the worst thing I’ve ever been through.”

Courtney’s accident happened in 2018 when she was reaching for a toy when she tumbled into a bath that was filling with scalding water.

Chloe said: “We heard horrendous screams and found that Courtney had fallen into a scalding hot bath.

“I quickly scooped her out of the bath, stripped her clothes off and wrapped her in a wet towel.

“She was covered in massive bulging blisters and we rushed her to hospital. But at this point, I didn’t realise how much damage had already been done.”

Courtney was immediately transferred to the high dependency unit at the RHCYP where she was sent to theatre every few days to get her burns scrubbed and redressed to prevent any infections.

Her thighs and feet received the worst damage as her socks and pants had held the scalding water close to her skin.

After being released from hospital, Courtney’s feet stayed bandaged for over a month, meaning that she was struggling to walk for up to two months.

She received regular physiotherapy alongside numerous other appointments for over a year to aid her recovery and to help with the inevitable scarring.

Chloe added: “I honestly can't thank all the amazing doctors and nurses enough.

“Courtney is now seven and is doing great. She has lots of scars but she doesn't let them define her.

“I would like other families to know that you can turn the water temperature down on your boiler. If we had known that - things might have been different for us.”

According to the burns and plastics clinic at the RHCYP, burns are the most common household injury with over 7000 children suffering serious burns or scalds in the UK in 2021.

Rosie Bainsfair, burns and plastics nurse specialist, said: “Many children we see are injured in accidents around the house involving very common things like hot drinks, irons or hair straighteners.

“If your child has a burn or scald, follow this simple ‘STOP’ first aid advice:

“Strip clothes, jewellery or nappies off - unless they are stuck to the skin.

“Turn on a cold tap or shower and run the burn under cool water for 20 minutes whilst keeping the child warm. Do not use ice.

“Organise medical assistance – attend A and E or dial 999.

“Protect the burn with cling film, provide painkillers and keep the child warm.”