Oliver Hart, 15, has astounded doctors at Royal Manchester Children’s Hospital with his recovery from severe 60% burns.
His injuries happened whilst playing out with friends when a container of flammable liquid caught fire – engulfing Oliver in flames. He rolled on the ground whilst his friends tried to stamp out the flames, before jumping into a nearby stream to try and cool down and stop the pain.
“Jumping into the cold stream seems like the logical thing to do,” said Emma Burton, Oliver’s mother.
“But it’s actually the worst thing you can do – it meant his wounds were infected and he would be more susceptible to infection throughout his recovery.”
Oliver was rushed to the Royal Manchester Children’s Hospital, where he faced 13 hours of surgery. His surgeries would continue for eight months, at one point he was averaging one surgery every other day.
“The first six weeks were spent purely on the burns unit as doctors tried to save his life from the infections. Whilst he was there, his risk of infection was so high that he was considered one of the poorliest people being kept at the hospital.” explained Emma.
“There were several times where we were told we were going to lose him, something a parent never wants to hear. 70% burns is where it becomes unlikely you will survive, which tells you how bad his injuries were. His chest and back were the only parts of his body they could take skin grafts from, everything from his elbows down was completely burnt – in the beginning every inch of his skin was bandaged and he was stuck in a stationary position. Just getting his dressings changed were 12-hour surgeries in themselves.”
