Melbourne girl, 2 years old, severely burned in the kitchen after the baby door was opened

Jessica Gardner took no risks in protecting her daughter’s safety at home.

In September last year, the Melbourne mom and her then husband Darryl-the parents of five-year-old Chloe and two-year-old Gracie-reinstalled their Baby gate Opposite the two entrances to their kitchen, a small accident shocked them.

“Gracie Zeng Burned her finger in stove When I was at work, so as soon as I found out, we put Baby gate To start again, our rule is that as long as the stove is turned on, the door will close,” Jessica told Children’s playground.

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Just two weeks later, on September 27, the 35-year-old girl went to work like every Friday, while Darryl stayed at home to take care of the children.

However, that day, the father of two decided to wash some motorcycle parts in a pot on the kitchen gas stove.

In a short while, the stove caught fire-causing a raging fire.

When Chloe was watching in horror in the lounge, Gracie ran into the kitchen. Her father was trying to put out the fire, but was engulfed by the flames.

Two-year-old Gracie was severely burned when the stove in the kitchen caught fire. Source: Provided to Kidspot

“The baby door was accidentally opened that morning”

Unfortunately, the baby door latch was accidentally opened that morning.

“I got a call saying that the kitchen was on fire and Gracie was injured,” Jessica vividly recalled the devastating moment when her life changed forever.

“When Darryl tried to calm me down, I panicked and he said’not bad’.”

Jessica hurried home, managed to arrive in time, and met her daughter before the ambulance drove to the hospital.

Although unable to see her daughter’s face or body, the distraught mother immediately collapsed, realizing that her daughter’s burns were much more serious than she thought, and now she was worried that the injury would end her life.

“I only saw the back of her head. Most of her hair fell out,” she wept as she repeated her fear.

“It feels unreal. I just screamed. Gracie didn’t cry… She didn’t make a sound.”

related: Infant hair dryer accidentally burn

“It was skinless flesh, swollen and red, so that it was impossible to tell whether her respiratory tract was burned by smoke. She couldn’t open her eyes… She kept saying,’Mom, Mom’.” Source: Provided to Kidspot

“She has flesh and no skin, but she keeps saying,’Mom, Mom'”

Jessica will never forget the brief moment of pain she looked at her little daughter before she was sent to the emergency room.

“That was the first time I saw her face,” the painful mother said.

“It was skinless flesh, swollen and red, so that it was impossible to tell whether her respiratory tract was burned by smoke. She couldn’t open her eyes… She kept saying,’Mom, Mom’.”

Gracie fell into a coma immediately and remained in a coma for the next five weeks.

“They told me that unless she was in a coma, she would not succeed,” Jessica said.

related: Mom and daughter suffered terrible burns in the accident

On the same day, Gracie also underwent an emergency skin transplant to treat full-thickness burns covering 40% of the entire face, scalp, left hand, abdomen, legs and feet.

“When she came back, she had no skin or hair on her face,” Jessica said, still clearly remembering the terrible picture in her mind.

“That’s too bad. I looked at her and thought, “Is this my baby?” “It’s not like her anymore.”

Gracie’s injuries were so serious that she was forced to be hospitalized for three months after the accident, and in just nine months after that decisive day, the little girl had to endure nine operations to remove other parts of her body Skin and transplant it to her face and lower body.

“She can’t open her eyes… She keeps saying,’Mom, Mom’.” Source: Provided to Kidspot

“I keep thinking,’This is not fair. Why did I go to work that day?'”

Her ears are severely damaged, and most of her right ear and part of her left ear are now gone. Miraculously, her hearing and vision have not been affected.

“I stayed with her in the hospital every night and couldn’t sleep,’Why she? It’s not fair. Why did I go to work that day?'” Jessica said.

Gracie-she had just taken her first steps when she was 16 months old-had to learn to walk again at two and a half years old, but this time her toes were severely burned.

“This time it’s a bigger deal,” her proud mother said with a smile. “Now we must stop her from running to protect her skin.”

Jessica spends at least two hours a day taking care of her daughter’s delicate skin and helping her put on a burn gown, which covers her feet, legs, hands and face with a thin sheath.

Gracie’s skin is still very fragile. When the UV rays are above level 4, even if she wears clothes and sunscreen, it is too dangerous to be outside, otherwise it is a medium level.

“Other people’s minor sunburns are extreme sunburns for her,” Jessica explained. “She is also at a very high risk of skin cancer.”

Gracie can’t enter the sandpit either, because the sandpit is too abrasive for her skin and can cause infection, and this toddler is already susceptible to infection.

“She has only just begun to be able to slide down the ladder because the friction was too painful before. Any lump will leave a permanent scar and it will take a long time for her to heal.”

Jessica moved from the rented house that was severely damaged by the fire and now lives with her parents and daughter, taking care of Gracie full-time.

“Between me and my mother, there is always someone watching Gracie. She also has a safe playpen now-she is never in the kitchen.” Source: Provided to Kidspot

“She now has a safe playpen-she never goes to the kitchen”

This little girl may need to wear some form of skin protection and will need skin grafts for the rest of her life.

“Between me and my mother, there is always someone watching Gracie. She also has a safe playpen now-she is never in the kitchen.”

It is incredible that despite Gracie’s pain and restrictions on her, the brave little girl’s lively and cheerful personality is back, bringing joy to those around her.

“She returned to a normal, happy self,” Jessica said of her tough daughter.

“All she was talking about was her toys and the things she wanted to see or play with. If she wasn’t the cheeky little girl before, it would be even more difficult to deal with.”

“I just want the baby door to be locked like it should, so she won’t go through this.”

Every week, 17 children receive treatment in specialized burn departments in Australia and New Zealand.Victorian child safety National Burn Awareness Monthh Aims to educate caregivers on how to prevent and treat burns in children.Jessica’s family also set up a GoFundMe Exercise to help Gracie recover.