Hello, my name is Carrie duc-Vegso and this past Monday our family had tragedy heaped upon us. My daughter, her husband, his 2.5 year old son, and their 15 month-old son went on their first camping trip together. None of them were very experienced campers, but they are excellent parents and take all precautions when dealing with the safety of their children.
In just a second, her baby - who wants to be independent now that he's a toddler - pulled his little hand out of her grasp and the momentum made him lose his balance. They were passing by what appeared to be an extinguished fire pit, with no protective ring of stones or grating per se, Corey fell and rolled into the fire pit they were passing on the way to the tent.
My daughter had no idea that an old fire pit posed any danger. When they'd registered at the camp ground they had been told that the lot they were renting hadn't been used in days. When Corey settled in the ashes my daughter's only thought was "Oh jeez now he's going to be all dirty", something most Mom's are used to with toddlers, especially boys! When he began to scream she raced into the pit thinking perhaps there was broken glass in the pit or a sharp rock he'd landed on. She burned her feet just rescuing him from the pit!
His complete right arm, hand and shoulder blade have 2nd and 1st degree burns, and it may still become more serious because as we all know fire continues to burn long after contact has been ended. He's in Ste. Justine Children's Hospital Burn Ward in Montreal as I type this! Every day we're all there as he's drugged, bathed, skin is removed and the usual horrific stuff goes on, after a serious burn.
Why isn't there more information at the campgrounds, at hospitals, clinics, even on websites about the dangers of seemingly extinguished campfires?
The irony of the situation is that when they passed through the Emergency Department of Ste. Justine's there was a large poster in the Emergency Waiting Room showing an extinguished campfire with the slogan "Even like this, I can still cause 3rd degree burns." Great advice, just a little late for my Grandson and who knows for how many more!
Please put the word out on your websites, as email signatures, and any way that you can that any campfire, lit or not, is life-threatening.And say a prayer for Corey, that he'll one day be able to fully use that little hand of his one day soon!
bobduc@videotron.ca
Camp Fires can burn - even days after they've burned to Ash!
