3rd Degree Burns on a Child: Priesthood blessing THEN 911

[emily]

I searched to see if this family has been discussed, but I didn't see anything posted. Someone shared this in my post-Mormon recovery group, and it has me seething. Essential oils, Priesthood blessing, and sloughing off skin at home BEFORE going to the hospital?

maxgoddard.com/the-accident

Here's a tender excerpt:

Markus opened the door and I saw Max walking with his shirt and hair in flames into the house. I patted some flames out as he walked down the back hall and Lorene threw a bowl of water on him in the kitchen. Heidi poured a mixture of Coconut Oil, frankincense, and lavender over his head and chest. I took the cap off of a full bottle of lavender and poured it over his head and hands. He went to the kitchen sink where we ran his hands under water. His face and most of his hair was singed. The whole time, he kept saying, “I’m sorry, Mom & Dad. I didn’t mean to scare you. I’m going to be fineâ€

At the sink, he kept rubbing the dead skin off the top of his arms. In our bathroom, he asked for scissors to cut off the huge strip of skin hanging from his left hand.

He took his clothes off in the kitchen and we put him in our bathtub under cold water. He said an explosion went off and He was blinded by the light and stumbled around, then ran into the house.

While he was in the tub, Markus and I gave him a priesthood blessing. He got cold so he got out of the tub. I put a bathrobe on him and he laid down on our chaise. He shivered and wanted us to hold him close. I carried him to the van and we drove to the AF hospital. He asked to watch Studio C. In the episode we watched, a man pretended to be covered in flames and put them out. We saw it as a tender mercy that God knew Max.

[ILoveJellybeans]

Somehow I don't think pouring essential oils onto burns is such a good idea.

[Columbia]

Meh, it just sounds like they tried to make him comfortable before they took him to the hospital. It doesn't sound any different than my mother trying to stabilize my arm after I broke it, and make a sling for me before she got me in the car to the ER.

Now if they'd been pouring lavender oil on him all night before they decided the next day to take him to the hospital, that would be an entirely different matter.

[ViolaSebastian]

Jeebus! That post is just not safe for life. Horrible, horrible stuff. I know that this seems to be a blogging thing and not just a fundie thing, but I really have to wonder about parents who feel that it's appropriate to post pictures of their children in the hospital--in this case, there's a very real chance that this child could die or be permanently disfigured and he deserves to have his privacy and dignity respected. I was in the hospital for an extended period as a child, and I can tell you right here and now that I would have never forgiven my parents for posting photographs of me in that vulnerable state, drugged and in pain, on the internet for every Tom, Dick, and Harry to take a gander. He's not even breathing on his own, for pity's sake--keep those sorts of photographs private, for goodness sake.

I had to go 'wut??' to the essential oil business, too. I find it rich that the flight team told her they needed to wash him so that they didn't bring any chemicals into the Burn Center...so what do they do? They bring chemicals into the Burn Center and rub them all over his feet. I wish a nurse had told them to cut that business out. Also that they NEVER called 911--they took him to the hospital in their van. From the description of the way he was acting after the explosion, it's painfully obvious that this child was in shock and needed to be treated as fast as possible. Certainly not dunked in a bathtub--that seems like it would be a huge infection risk. And does no one taught 'stop, drop, and roll!' anymore? That was all the rage when I was in elementary school...

[ViolaSebastian]

Meh, it just sounds like they tried to make him comfortable before they took him to the hospital.

This accident was bad enough that this child might not survive it. When something is that bad, any sane person's foremost thought would be getting your child medical attention as fast as humanly possible, not rubbing useless essential oils on him.

[doggie]

3rd degree burns need to be kept clean as they infect very easily. dumping oil o them is not going to help.

[lipstickgoalie]

Meh, it just sounds like they tried to make him comfortable before they took him to the hospital. It doesn't sound any different than my mother trying to stabilize my arm after I broke it, and make a sling for me before she got me in the car to the ER.

Now if they'd been pouring lavender oil on him all night before they decided the next day to take him to the hospital, that would be an entirely different matter.

I am sorry but I think those parents are complete idiots. Their child was on fire, actually, literally ON FIRE. You call 911 when your child is, or has been, ON FIRE. What they did, pouring oil on him and putting the kid in the bathtub can and probably did severely impact his treatment. You don't put a kid with 3rd degree burns in a completely un sterile family bathtub. That is just idiocy.

[feministxtian]

Why did they post pictures of this poor child? I have pictures of my husband in ICU with the tubes and the wires and all that shit but nobody will ever see them. Good grief....

[chaotic life]

Haven't even looked at the pictures but burns that severe kill. One, they exposed him to unsterile bath water and essential oils. No, one, they didn't another the damn fire first, unsanitary expose is two. Three is that significant burns cause a major fluid shift and dunking him in a tub of water would make that worse. They very well may have killed him with their actions. Should have smothered the fire while calling 911.

[ViolaSebastian]

Haven't even looked at the pictures but burns that severe kill. One, they exposed him to unsterile bath water and essential oils. No, one, they didn't another the damn fire first, unsanitary expose is two. Three is that significant burns cause a major fluid shift and dunking him in a tub of water would make that worse. They very well may have killed him with their actions. Should have smothered the fire while calling 911.

Evidently the head nurse informed them that there was a chance he could die from this.

While Nat and I waited, a head nurse came out and introduced himself. He told us that this is a critical illness, and we needed to know that Max could die. Since he had 3rd degree burns on 40% of his body, he would be in the hospital for 2-3 months and might not make it.

[DGayle]

Meh, it just sounds like they tried to make him comfortable before they took him to the hospital. It doesn't sound any different than my mother trying to stabilize my arm after I broke it, and make a sling for me before she got me in the car to the ER.

Now if they'd been pouring lavender oil on him all night before they decided the next day to take him to the hospital, that would be an entirely different matter.

They were incompetent and could have killed him. When your child could die, you don't take your time with a bath to make him comfortable. You get your goddamned ass to the ER.

I hope that blog entry is brought to the attention of child services so they know about the delay in this boy's medical care that could have killed him.

[doggie]

but they were doing gods will and hoping he would heal the child. :angry-banghead: this is always the excuse.

[DGayle]

If I knew their general location, I'd call child services myself and make sure they are aware of this. This isn't someone just being an idiot like Zsu. This is a legitimately life-threatening emergency that nearly killed a child, and medical care was delayed until he got chills and started talking like he was going to die, and by the time they finally went in, the doctors were still blunt that he may die. Those parents have no idea what they're doing, and they need to brought to official attention so that they can be required to take classes on how you get your kids emergency care when there's a real emergency, so that they don't die. I'm physically sick thinking about how close their son was to dying, and they still didn't get him care.

[lipstickgoalie]

If I knew their general location, I'd call child services myself and make sure they are aware of this. This isn't someone just being an idiot like Zsu. This is a legitimately life-threatening emergency that nearly killed a child, and medical care was delayed until he got chills and started talking like he was going to die, and by the time they finally went in, the doctors were still blunt that he may die. Those parents have no idea what they're doing, and they need to brought to official attention so that they can be required to take classes on how you get your kids emergency care when there's a real emergency, so that they don't die. I'm physically sick thinking about how close their son was to dying, and they still didn't get him care.

I really feel that the parents actions are criminally negligent. I also feel that dumping lavender oil or what hoo-hoo bullshit they are spraying on him WHILE he is in the burn ward is also negligent behavior.

[DGayle]

If anyone knows what area they're in, I will call DHS. I am very serious. Lipstick, you're right. This is criminal negligence.

They also started putting oils on him BEFORE getting permission, and AFTER being told no chemicals in the burn ward. Who knows what else they will do before asking that could hinder his care? That boy needs a guardian right now who hasn't already shown deadly-poor judgement.

I have been trying to find a location, and have a friend helping right now too. If anyone knows, please PM me.

[apple1]

Somehow I don't think pouring essential oils onto burns is such a good idea.

Coconut oil is also a terrible idea. Not only do these things have to be removed to treat the burn once the person is in the hands of medical experts, but oils can keep the heat in the burn, making the burn worse.

[sol]

did anyone else notice that this blog was started the day before the accident and they ask for donations to a doterra charity? curiouser and curiouser....

ETA i call BS on the whole thing.

[polecat]

Coconut oil is also a terrible idea. Not only do these things have to be removed to treat the burn once the person is in the hands of medical experts, but oils can keep the heat in the burn, making the burn worse.

Was going to say this myself. On more minor burns, you only flush with cool water. In a situation where a child is on fire and is dropping chunks of flesh everywhere, you call 911 so that they can get fluids started asap and get him to where he needs to go faster. This is horrible if it's true.

[Emme]

You do not put ANYTHING on a burn of that degree except sterile water and sterile gauze (if I recall correctly, but I know you do NOT do what these folks did). It is SO easy for wounds of that degree to become infected. You CANNOT do that shit.

Edited to add: These people found a doc who will let them use essential oils and going to learn NOTHING of responsibility or parenting from this. They keep talking about their son going on "many missions". ARGH.

[polecat]

Did anyone else notice that most of the comments were along the lines of "Thank God for doTerra oils!"

Something's hinky with this. I actually hope it IS a scam rather than think that there really are parents out there who'd try to DIY burns this extensive and severe.

[chaotic life]

It's more than just negligence. They didn't passively fail to act. They actively did acts that may result in the child's death, the oils and the bath actively worsened the situation.

And, essential oils not diluted into a carrier oil cause horrible chemical burns themselves.

[polecat]

This "doterra oil" is actively being marketed to treat burns.

Did you know that Lavender is the answer to treating every degree of burns.

"But if you have faith that the oils will heal your burn no matter what the severity of it is then save your self the trip and apply Lavender."

experiencingdoterra.blogspot.com/2013/05/1st-2nd-and-3rd-degree-burns.html

A few of the sites I found have disclaimers but not all of them. It seems to be a multi-level marketing scheme with plenty of spurious claims. I hope to god this means that no child was actually "slathered" in oil instead of being immediately transported to the er, but even writing this "testimonial" is dangerously irresponsible.

[chaotic life]

There is no way the reality is what these people are writing. I see the same inconsistency with starting the blog the day before the accident.

Essential oils cause chemical burns. You cannot put them directly on intact skin, much less burnt skin. Additionally, burns remain the one type of wound that must remain sterile and there is no way you can get sterile essential oils.

So, either the staff is appeasing the parents and lying to them. Or the parents are lying in their blog. Or, the entire thing is a hoax.

My husband read the blog and said. "The only positive I see is that mercifully that child will likely never wake up to know any if this."

[Trynn]

I raise my eyebrows at the oils, but my first reaction would probably be to stick him in a tub of cold water, if I hadn't taken an emt course. I can't blame them for that one, but they still should've called 911 first, and even I know that oils seem like a bad idea.

I was told lavender oil was good for burns, and that's what my boss used to give me when I got burned at work.

Then I discovered lidocaine (no, I know not to use that in severe burns without consulting a doctor) and never looked back. Hell, even aloe plant juice is better than fuckin lavender oil.

[ViolaSebastian]

experiencingdoterra.blogspot.com/2013/05/1st-2nd-and-3rd-degree-burns.html

A few of the sites I found have disclaimers but not all of them. It seems to be a multi-level marketing scheme with plenty of spurious claims. I hope to god this means that no child was actually "slathered" in oil instead of being immediately transported to the er, but even writing this "testimonial" is dangerously irresponsible.

Did you read this?

Update: This 4th of July my daughter(5 years) was playing with a lit sparkler with a cup over the hand part so she wouldn't get burned. But she forgot that she can't grab the part of the sparkler that had been burning. Needless to say she got burned and immediately asked for Lavender. She is my little doTerra Spokesperson. Well we applied it and within seconds she was feeling better and within a few hours the burn was healed and gone.

Healed and gone?? Who is dumb enough to believe that a burn from a sparkler healed in a few hours??