The mum of a 17-month-old boy who suffered terrible burns after tipping hot tea over himself has spoken of the traumatic minutes after the accident - and how hero paramedics battled to help him.
Beth Smith, 24, and her partner Rob Carruthers were in their kitchen when little Rory managed to get through his baby gate and tip the cup of hot drink on to his head and body.
As he screamed in pain, they dialled the emergency services and were warned by a North West Ambulance Service (NWAS) operator he could fall unconscious from the pain or shock.
She was told to keep spraying him with cold water in the shower.
An ambulance reached their home in Wigton, Cumbria just five minutes later. Realising how seriously injured he was, paramedics summoned a helicopter air ambulance too.
Beth told Lancs Live : “It started out like any other day, Rory’s dad Rob and I were in the kitchen chatting and having a cup of tea. We put our cups on the side as we were talking and then it all happened so fast.
“Rory had got through the baby gate and had stood on his tippy toes then reached up onto the side and grabbed one of the cups and poured it over his head and all over himself.
“As soon as I looked at him, I knew it was bad. The burns were substantial and the skin across his face and chest was already starting to come away. I have never ever heard a scream like it from Rory and Rob was really panicking at this point.”
A Great North Air Ambulance Service (GNAAS) critical care team helicopter - named Pride of Cumbria II - landed in a field near their home, with doctor Will Passmore, paramedic Andy Dalton and pilot Mik Kingham on board.
Beth said: “We ran from our house with the paramedics, through the neighbour’s house to meet the crew outside where they had landed, and Rob was carrying Rory in his arms. We had to try and get over a fence, so we passed Rory to the GNAAS’ pilot and then I climbed over.
“The doctor and paramedic were so calm and made us feel completely at ease as I was so worried about judgement around what had happened. It was so traumatic, and Rory was still screaming and very distressed, but they settled him straight away with medication."
Rory was flown to Royal Victoria Infirmary (RVI) in Newcastle upon Tyne, and he was kept in for treatment for a week before returning home.
Beth added: “Although Rory was fine in himself he had a special hat on to protect the burns on his face and chin and bandages everywhere but he was trying his best to play with the toys and interact with the nurses.
“The doctors were worried Rory might need a skin graft so we went back to the RVI three days after getting home but they said he was fine and everything was healing as it should which was a total relief.
“We feel so lucky that GNAAS were able to come and help us when we needed them, and we just can’t get over how amazing the team was with us that day.”
