CONTRIBUTING STORIES: If you are a burn survivor, or the parent or caregiver of a burn survivor and feel others would benefit and be encouraged by sharing your experience, please click: Contact WBS and tell us about it.  If you would like help in writing your story we would be glad to arrange for that as well. 

Miranda Radcliffe was just 18 months old when she suffered burns from scalding hot water to large areas of her body.  The jug cord hung just over the edge of the bench while next to the jug was Miranda's mug.  She had just finished her bath and mum sent her in to see Dad who was working close by the sink in the kitchen getting the tea ready.  His back turned when Miranda ran up beside him he was unable to see the small action that caused the accident. Miranda saw her mug, reached up, her arm brushed the cord just enough to catch it and mug, jug and boiling water all cascaded down in one momentary action that Dad turned just in time to see but with no chance of averting. 

The jug struck Miranda a glancing blow on the left side of her head, just enough to stun her so that she was saved from the first traumatic effects.  The water impacted across her ear, her neck, her right arm and across her chest and side.

The best action to take in such a situation is to apply cold water immediately, possibly by placing immediately in the bath and then calling an ambulance, however, unaware of this Dad & Mum did they best they could think off and wrapped her in a quilt.  Of course, the water continued burning all this time with nothing to cool them.  

Changing their mind they rushed Mirnada into their GP's surgery where upon she was immediately advised to drive straight for the hospital.  By morning Miranda's health was deteriorating and she had been placed in intensive care.  Three days later Miranda was flown by air ambulance to the Burwood Hospital Burns Unit in Christchurch.

What followed was the awful agony of skin grafts, dressing changes, loss of flexibility of her right arm, and, of course, the social stigma as parents shielded their children from the sight of her  disfigurements.

At twenty six, she has finally come to terms with these lasting effects and says, "I just don't care anymore and wear what I want".  However, there is still the legacy of tender skin which must not be allowed to get sunburned,  when she gets hot the burned areas become like a red rash and when cold they turn bluey-green.  Her right arm movement is still hampered by tight skin and the burns to her right breast have left her unable to breastfeed.   

Miranda's mother, Aileen Gooding, lives in Richmond and is now President and Field Officer of the Nelson Burns Support Group.  She has had to struggle with the constant thoughts that, "If only this or that had happened then maybe...", the challenge that every parent or caregiver faces in the aftermath of these things. 

The reality for Nelson, the same as for most of the country is that hot water burns outnumber most other types of burns for children and adults 14 years and over.  Children under 14 are more likely to have fire burns from elements, ovens and irons.  However, as this story illustrates, burns of all types can happen to all ages.  There is the constant challenge to increase the awareness of how easily these things happen and can, often, be avoided.  Most burn related accidents are preventable with hindsight, however, like most things in life, as human beings we are not greatly gifted with the foresight to avoid these things.  So, while no one is exempt from accident, we can all do a lot to increase our own awareness of potential accident situations and that of others as well of the best procedure in the event of something like this happening to ourselves and those around us.