“Every single day asks an unbelievable amount of strength from him,” a family member wrote on GoFundMe
Credit: GoFundMe
NEED TO KNOW
- A 7-year-old boy, Elian Flores, suffered severe burns after he and his 11-year-old brother, Benji, accidentally set his shirt on fire while experimenting with household items
- The brothers were mixing hand sanitizer, soap and rubbing alcohol before a lighter was introduced
- After the incident, Elian had second-degree burns covering 19% of his body
A 7-year-old boy was hospitalized with severe burns after he and his older brother accidentally started a fire while playing scientists in their Florida home.
On Sept. 7, Elian Flores and his 11-year-old brother, Benji, were mixing several household items — including hand sanitizer, soap and rubbing alcohol — in their bathroom as a “science experiment.”
Moments later, a lighter was introduced into their experiment, and Elian’s shirt caught on fire, a family member, Daasha Ferguson, shared in a verified GoFundMe.
“Benji immediately reacted and got his little brother into the shower to put out the flames,” Daasha wrote. “The rest of the family woke up to the commotion, and Elian was rushed for emergency care.”
Credit: GoFundMe
After first responders rushed to the siblings’ home, they took Elian to Jackson Memorial Hospital’s Ryder Trauma Center for specialized pediatric burn treatment.
“He suffered second-degree burns over approximately 19 percent of his body,” Daasha shared on the GoFundMe, set up to raise funds for the boy’s recovery. “The right side of his face was burned and became severely swollen and blistered. He also suffered burns to his right abdomen and legs, and some of his most significant injuries are to his right arm, hand and fingers.”
Following the incident, Elian was in the ICU for more than a week, during which he underwent “debridement, extensive wound care, painful dressing changes, physical therapy, ophthalmology evaluations, psychological support and intensive pain management.”
In an update shared on the GoFundMe on Sept. 15, Daasha said Elian was moved out of the pediatric ICU, although his recovery remained difficult and uncertain.
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“He is mentally, emotionally and physically exhausted,” she said. “At times he can barely speak, and his voice grows weak or disappears altogether. Every single day asks an unbelievable amount of strength from him.”
During what was supposed to be his first shower since the accident, Daasha said Elian’s screams “filled the room as the water touched his wounds,” leaving doctors with no choice but to sedate and intubate him to get a proper look at the severity of his third-degree burns.
Credit: GoFundMe
“Through all of it, Elian keeps showing more courage than any 7-year-old should ever have to,” she said. “But he’s tired. His body is tired, his voice is tired, his mind is tired. What he needs now is time, comfort and the reassurance that he isn’t facing this alone.”
Two days later, Elian was discharged from the hospital and returned home to be with his six older brothers and the rest of his family.
“He is back in his own space, surrounded by the people he loves and the familiarity that gives him comfort and a sense of safety,” Daasha wrote on GoFundMe. “Tonight, we are especially thankful that Elian gets to sleep at home, surrounded by his brothers and his family.”
“This is not the end of his recovery, but it is a beautiful step forward,” she added. “Thank you for continuing to keep Elian in your prayers and for standing beside our family through his healing journey.”
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