What started as a night of family fun around the firepit quickly turned into a night of tragedy for 5-year-old Ben Ward of Severna Park, Maryland. After enjoying an evening of making s'mores, the Ward family was waiting for the last of the fire to burn out. Ben turned to go inside, tripped and fell in the fire pit. His family immediately jumped into action, and he was rushed to the nearest hospital.
Ben was quickly transferred to Johns Hopkins Children's Center, Maryland's only pediatric trauma and burn center. Alejandro Garcia, M.D., director of the Children's Center's Pediatric Burn Program, oversaw his care.
Ben was in the hospital for more than a week with third- and fourth-degree burns, the most serious burns. He needed skin grafts and biosynthetic wound care. Despite the intense pain from his burns and skin grafts, his mom, Angela, says Ben stayed in great spirits.
"Ben was so resilient. He loved riding his scooter in the hospital and showing off his dinosaur slippers," says Angela Ward. "The entire burn team was incredible in giving him fantastic care, and also keeping his spirits up."
Now, his mom says Ben is back to his happy, playful self. But he still has healing ahead of him. Ben continues to follow up with his medical team at the burn center, and he has occupational therapy to ensure his hand maintains full movement.
With autumn here and temperatures beginning to cool, more families may enjoy spending time around a firepit. Garcia is asking parents to remember these tips before having a fall campfire:
- Never leave kids unattended around a fire.
- Remember that even the coals and embers can remain hot for hours.
- Create a safe perimeter, about 3 feet, and don't let kids run or play near a firepit or bonfire.
- Teach kids not to throw anything into a fire.
- Keep a bucket of water nearby. When you're done, pour the water over the fire until the hissing sound stops.
