A five-year-old girl was left fighting for her life after knocking over a deep fat fryer and burning 38 per cent of her body.
Grace Shaw was playing with her younger sister Farrah when she fell and pulled the contents of the cooker – which were as hot as 375F – all over herself on April 28, 2016.
She went into shock from the searing pain and but was quickly covered in a damp towel by her father Gary Shaw, at their kitchen in Talbot Green, Wales.
Mr Shaw called Grace’s mother Toni-Marie Grundy-Jones, who was working in a restaurant five minutes away from their home.
Ms Grundy-Jones said Grace was shaking and screaming ‘I’m dying, I’m dying’ when she rushed home, and the parents then drove her to A&E.
The mother claims the incredible care Grace received from staff at the Royal Glamorgan Hospital – situated just minutes from their home – saved her daughter’s life.
‘Without their fast-thinking and reactions my daughter wouldn’t be here now,’ said Toni-Marie.
Grace Shaw, pictured in hospital, was playing with her younger sister Farrah in the kitchen when she fell and pulled the boiling hot contents of the fryer all over her
Her mother Toni-Marie Grundy-Jones (pictured) claims the incredible care Grace received from staff in the A&E department at the Royal Glamorgan Hospital – situated just minutes from their home in Talbot Green – saved her daughter’s life
Ms Grundy-Jones said the hospital staff were crucial in saving her daughter’s life
‘As soon as she arrived at the hospital she was sedated and prevented from going into full-blown shock. If we’d had to travel any further to hospital I believe she would have died.’
The emergency unit is currently being considered for closure by Cwm Taf Morgannwg University Health Board due to severe staff shortages.
Recalling the horrifying incident, Toni-Marie said: ‘Before I had gone to work I had put the deep fat fryer on and cut some chips ready to put in it.
‘After the chips had been made I had put the fryer to cool on the counter. It had been turned off for about 20 minutes when the accident happened.’
When Gary arrived at the doors of A&E with Grace cradled in his arms, Toni-Marie said they were taken straight into a side room where they were surrounded by medical staff.
‘When I got home, Grace was just shaking and screaming in pain and kept on saying ”I’m dying, I’m dying”,’ Ms Grundy-Jones said
She ended up burning 38% of her body and almost died when she went into shock from the unrelenting pain and significant damage caused
‘They were fabulous. We had eight doctors and five nurses all around her,’ she said.
‘Grace had to be ventilated and sedated before being taken by ambulance to Bristol Children’s Hospital.’
For the first 13 hours of arriving in Bristol, Grace’s parents were unable to see her as doctors carried out emergency skin grafts and tried to stabilise her condition.
‘She had burns to her head, half her back, her left and right arm. She also had splashes on her legs and feet,’ said Toni-Marie, who now lives in Llanharry.
‘The only thing that wasn’t affected was her torso.’
Grace was sedated in hospital for three days and spent a fortnight in intensive care as medics carried out skin grafts and procedures every other day.
‘It was touch and go for weeks whether she’d make it. She could have picked up infections at any time,’ said Toni-Marie, who stayed in the Ronald McDonald accommodation on site in Bristol while juggling her commitments to Farrah.
Grace was sedated in hospital for three days and spent a fortnight in intensive care as medics carried out skin grafts and procedures every other day
Grace, pictured wearing a wig after the accident, is now flourishing against the odds
‘But when she came round from the sedation, looked at me and said ”I want black pop and raspberries” we knew she was going to pull through. She’s just so strong and independent.’
Grace spent three months in Bristol before she was discharged, and now has regular appointments at the Welsh Centre for Burns and Plastic Surgery at Morriston Hospital in Swansea.
‘The staff in Bristol were so fantastic that we’ve even named a teddy after one of the doctors,’ said Ms Grundy-Jones.
Grace, now nine, who loves dancing and the mobile app Tik Tok, is flourishing against the odds.
‘Apart from a little tuft at the top, she’s lost most of her hair which will never grow back as the burns were so deep it killed the tissue,’ her mother said.
‘But even if she does decide to wear a wig it’s normally off within five minutes. She’s retained her confidence and always manages to smile.’
Protests have taken place against plans to either shut to Royal Glamorgan’s A&E entirely or reduce its opening hours to the daytime only.
Both the public and politicians claim downgrading such a busy department could have dire consequences for people in immediate need of treatment, such as Grace.
Ms Grundy-Jones said the hospital staff were crucial in saving her daughter’s life.