The Real Danger of Matches | Juggling Motherhood

Souce: Fairfax NZ News via Stuff.co.nz

When you read the story, your heart just breaks. This could be your child.

?Arna suffered severe burns to her body and face after accidentally setting fire to her clothes at her home.

She had been lighting a candle for twin sister Mila, who was born with Down syndrome and died of an infection last month.

The family had been lighting candles as part of their ?memory times? for Mila, to help with the grieving.?

source: Stuff.co.nz

Thankfully Arna has survived, and is in hospital undergoing operations.

The reason that I feel like this story could easily happen to anyone, is because this could have been my story.

A week or so before this tragedy, my 5 year old daughter sheepishly told me that she lit a match.

Did you know it is possible to have a myriad of emotions all at the same time?!

Shock, Relief, Anxiety, Fear, Disbelief, Frustration, Guilt.

My hubby had decluttered our kitchen and our candles and matches became exposed from their hiding place. My hubby is very safety concious, so he must have thought that the container only housed candles (the candles and matches are now up high and hidden.)

This tragedy could have been ours because of miscommunication and complacency. All it takes is one mistake. Like, leaving matches out after a birthday party. Mistakenly placing the matches in an easy to reach place after lighting the fire or BBQ. Having the matches in an easy to reach place, because the kids have never touched them before.

But, all it takes is one mistake.

When I was younger, a family in our church had their house almost burn down, because a couple of young kids played with matches in the bedroom. Thankfully no lives were lost, but I remember clearly thinking that the story could have easily turned out another way, because the children hid after they realised they couldn?t put the fire out.

I think what makes Arna?s story so heart wrenching, is because we know that we can not take away her pain and we can?t reverse the damage that has been done to her face and her body, no matter how much we will it. We also understand that she is at the very beginning of a very long and painful road.

So, let her leave us with a legacy, that will mean that no other child goes through what she has had to endure.

• DO check where your matches are right now.

• DO talk to your child about using matches.

• DO teach your child ?STOP, DROP and ROLL?.

• DO become more safety conscious around fire [establish a family escape route, purchase a fire extinguisher, teach your children and role-play how to call emergency services, be mindful around heaters and how flammable pajamas are, educate yourself on how to treat burns, be aware of where matches are kept at grandma and grandpa's house or neighbours etc.]

Our thoughts and prayers are with Arna and her family. xoxoxo

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Source: http://jugglingmotherhood.com/2012/09/15/the-real-danger-of-matches/

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