Niamh
When Niamh was 10, she burnt her hand whilst toasting marshmallows at a camping weekend. She said the experience was ‘a bit overwhelming’. When she got home from camping, Niamh was taken to A&E. This made her realise the burn was ‘serious’. Niamh was interviewed together with her mum Lindsay. (link to Lindsay’s profile)
Niamh is 12 years old. She lives with her parents and siblings. Her ethnicity is White British.
More about me...
Niamh was 10 years old when she accidentally burnt her hand whilst she was toasting marshmallows on a campfire. At the time, Niamh was attending a young person’s camping weekend and was away from home and her family. Her burn was not given the correct first-aid by the staff at the camping weekend, and Niamh was allowed by the staff to carry on with the camping weekend as normal. A blister had formed where Niamh was burnt which popped partially over the weekend.
When Niamh went home from the camping weekend and was collected by her parents, the camping staff told them that she had been burnt and ‘would be surprised if it didn’t scar’. Later that day, Niamh unwrapped the bandage she was wearing and showed her parents her burn. Niamh said that the burn didn’t hurt, and this worried her Mum, Lindsay, in case there was any nerve damage.
Niamh was taken to A&E at her local children’s hospital the next day. Once there, they were told they would need to attend an appointment the following day at a more specialised burns centre. At the appointment, Niamh’s burn was cleaned and the top layer of the burn removed so “bacteria couldn’t infect it”. She said this “really hurt”, but that it was done swiftly. Whilst Niamh was having her burn cleaned, she remembered a “really nice nurse” who held her hand through the procedure and distracted her by reading a book with her. She said this made the experience a bit easier for her.
After attending the appointment at the burns centre, Niamh and her Mum were told to get the dressing changed “every other day” at their local GP surgery. During the first appointment, however, they were told by a nurse that Niamh’s burn could be left alone for “a few more days”. Although Niamh was meant to have her dressings changed six times, the GP surgery only changed them three times.
Niamh said that having a burn made her feel “brave”.
Niamh was interviewed together with her mum Lindsay. (link to Lindsay’s profile)
Niamh would rather the doctors told her that her dressing changes were going to be painful, but her Mum felt it was better for her not to know.
Niamh would rather the doctors told her that her dressing changes were going to be painful, but her Mum felt it was better for her not to know.
Niamh: I think I would have rather them told me what they were going to do so I know what was coming.
Yeah, was it a bit unexpected then?
Niamh: Yeah.
Mum: Now, stepping in as her mum … I’m glad they done it the way they done it because I think then it might have been ‘No, you’re not touching my hand, you’re not touching …’ and then it becomes a … quite a traumatic experience going into it. Whereas, the way it was done, yes, she was annoyed, yes it hurt, but it was done in seconds.