How It Happened

I realized earlier when I started getting emails asking how Lucas got burned that I never actually said. He was burned with hot cooking oil. I had deep fried some perogies (potato filled pastry that is deep fried or sauteed) for supper on Wednesday night and Lucas and Mihret stood on a little picnic table next to the stove to watch. I told them to get down so they wouldn't get burned. Mihret got down and ran off. Lucas got down and somehow (I don't know exactly how) the pan of hot oil got tipped over on top of him. He screamed and all pandemonium broke out with screaming in Amharic and English. It was definitely not good! I have never freaked out before when my kids have been hurt. I've always been very good about being calm on the outside and systematically dealing with stuff in the moment and saving my "falling apart" until later. But when I saw my son standing there with his skin hanging off his arms, I really lost it and I started screaming too. So when I started screaming, the other kids started screaming. I got his clothes off and put him in the sink where I rinsed him with cold water to cool him down. Then I wrapped him in a clean sheet and called 911. I gave them the location, details, etc. but it evidently wasn't the order they wanted it in. So they began asking me all of these same questions in a different order. Then they started asking whether he was breathing. Mind you, he was screaming his head off! Then they were confused about our address and which county we live in. At that point I decided that I was wasting valuable time talking on the phone and put him in the van. Our next door neighbor stayed with the other kids and I took him to the ER myself. The ER was absolutely great. They had pain meds and an IV ready before I even got him laid down on the bed. They were wonderful from start to finish. The RN attending to him was so good that she clocked out at the end of her shift, but stayed right with us until the ambulance from the burn center arrived. She was such a blessing to me. She was very loving and calm to me and extremely attentive to Lucas and did not allow him to suffer pain. She was very on top of giving him the pain medication. The burn center has been wonderful as well. They have really taken such good care of him. The recreational therapist helped keep him happy during his very painful bath today and has even scheduled to come in on Saturday and Sunday, her days off, to help with his bath to make it easier for him.

When the accident first happened, it was hard to find a spot on his body that wasn't red. And his hair was covered with oil. But there isn't a single spot of burn on his face or head. There isn't even a speck of splatter burn on his face. And most of the red spots on his body diminished by the next day. Only 11% of his body was estimated to be burned the morning after it happened. Thank God, he was wearing jeans, which protected his legs. He has a little bit of first degree burn on his hip, going around to the front. But it goes no further than that.

Okay. I must be finished. I have a cute little boy lying next to me who wants nothing more than to hold my hand. Please pray for our other three kids. I am very worried about all three of them.