“I knew Shriners treated burns, but I was thinking burns that come from a house fire or car accident,” Kristen said. “I didn’t think they treated scalds.”
Kristen said she’s glad she was wrong. At the urging of her pediatrician, she reached out to Shriners Children’s Ohio and got an appointment right away. “Her back and stomach started to turn bright red and blister,” Kristen said. “She was so miserable and, as a mom, I hated seeing how much pain she was in.”
Bailey Slack, RN, was one of the nurses that evaluated Josephine’s scald and reassured Kristen that her daughter was in the best place. “No matter how small a burn is, there can be lasting impact on that child and the rest of the family,” Slack explained. “We’re an added support system for the entire family.”
That support system includes child life specialists who can help to distract the child from treatment and physical and occupational therapists who can assess if the burn will impact the child’s movement.
No matter how small a burn is, there can be lasting impact on that child and the rest of the family. We’re an added support system for the entire family.
Kristen said Bailey and the rest of the clinical team not only got to work treating Josephine, but also made sure Kristen and her husband understood every step and the reasons why. “What stands out to me is the kindness and reassurance of the staff,” Kristen recalled. “They even checked in with me to make sure I was handling everything okay.”
Kristen said they left the clinic with bandages, supplies and instructions on how to clean and care for Josephine’s burns.
“It was absolutely miserable to wash the burns,” she explained. “If Shriners hadn’t explained why this step was so important, I’m not sure I could have done it.”
Bailey said the clinical team and the family working together plays a big part in a child’s burn recovery. “We will do whatever it takes to support the family,” she said. “Whether that’s talking to them on the phone, sending pictures or more supplies, we will be there for them.”
Kristen said after just a week of following the team’s instructions, they saw dramatic results. Josephine’s skin wasn’t as red and some of the patches of burned skin started to heal. A few weeks after the scald injury, Josephine is considered completely healed.
Kristen wants other families to know that any type or size of burn injury in a child should be treated at Shriners Children’s.
“You’re not going to regret that you had to travel further when you see your child received the best care,” she said. “We’re lucky to have Shriners’ quality of care and the peace of mind it brings to families.”
Josephine is back to doing all the things she loves after her scald injury.
Following treatment at Shriners Children's Ohio, Josephine's scald burn is completely healed.
When 2-year-old Josephine accidentally spilled hot coffee on herself, her mom didn’t think the burn was serious enough to be treated at Shriners Children’s.
No matter how small a burn is, there can be lasting impact on that child and the rest of the family.
