Mum's warning after toddler left with horrific burns at local park
A Queensland mum has shared the heartbreaking experience of her 18-month-old daughter who was left with second degree burns to her feet at a local park.
Simone Pickering was supervising her daughter at a splash and play waterpark at the Ipswich River Heart Parklands, when she heard a deafening scream.
Surrounded by other children who were also barefoot playing in the water, Simone’s toddler had wandered to a hot plate that was in the middle of the park.
“Our daughter just happened to walk a short distance from where myself and family were sitting, to find herself paralysed, standing on one of these scorching hot metal plates unable to move due to the intensity of the heat below,” the mum wrote in a Facebook post, warning other parents to keep a watchful eye for these plates in public settings.
“In seconds the damage had been done.”
The horrified mother rushed her daughter to the hospital, describing it as the most heartbreaking 10 minutes of her life.
“To hear the unbearable pain your child is in and not be able to soothe her or take it away messes with your head – pushing you to dig deep and find strength,” she wrote.
Simone said she had not been concerned about letting her daughter go barefoot as it wasn’t an overtly hot day.
“What you don’t expect to have to tell your children is to watch out for scorching HOT metal covers placed right in the path of little feet at a Splash and Play Water Park of all places,” she added.
“Had it been a cracking hot day it makes sense that you would have your kids wear shoes. You don’t expect a 25-28 degree day to be of any real concern especially when there are children running around everywhere.”
Simone slammed her local council and their engineers for her daughter’s injuries, pinning the damage on their “negligence”.
“These images are etched into my mind and every time we have someone ask what happened the emotions come racing back – mostly now in the form of anger,” she wrote.
“Angry to hear that this type of burn is common. That each year children are admitted to Lady Cilento Children’s hospital after stepping on council owned grids/pits in local parks!
“Angry that councils are aware of the issue but due to ‘funding’ neglect to fix it resulting in more innocent kids being hurt!
“Angry that even after a full recovery our daughter will never truly know what is normal feeling in her feet as she won’t have any prior memories to draw upon being that she’s only 18-months old.”
Do you know of anyone who has been burnt by these hot plates in local parks? If so, share your story in the comments below.