As a glassblower and flight attendant, Lana has seen many types of burns on the aircraft and in the studio. But nothing like what her little Chloe experienced following an accident at their home in Chestermere when she was 9 months old.
Lana had a sore throat, so her husband Adam made her a cup of tea while she held Chloe in a baby carrier, watching her older daughter jump on their new trampoline. As he approached her, she turned to accept the tea but instead accidentally bumped the cup on the safety net of the trampoline, spilling the tea on her and Chloe. Chloe instantly woke up crying and seeing her chubby cheeks turning red and blister, Lana ran upstairs to get her into the shower while Adam called 911.
Chestermere Firefighters were first on scene followed by paramedics. Lana said their living room became a first aid room as they checked out Chloe’s injuries and then transported her to the Alberta Children’s Hospital for further assessment. In the Emergency Department, she was cleaned and bandaged up and referred to the outpatient Burn Clinic for further treatment. Burn Clinic specialists confirmed Chloe suffered a second degree burn under her chin, cheeks and on her chest. Because she was so young, skin grafting was not recommended. Instead, experts prescribed specialized bandages, cream and compression garments (including a mask she would also wear to daycare but now wears only at night) and trained her parents on how to clean, treat and protect the burn at home.
Because she is so young and still developing, her specialists started her on scar management protocols too to keep her skin pliable. That includes steroid injections and a special laser treatment with pediatric plastic surgeon Dr. Frankie Fraulin that relaxes the collagen to help flatten and smooth her skin.
Lana remembers being in physiotherapist Doug’s office on their third visit and seeing poems written by kids on the wall – kids who got to know him through their own healing journey. That’s when she realized how long the healing process would take. But she and Adam now know that their team of experts will be with them each step of the way and it makes her so grateful to have this hospital so close to home.
