A MUM-of-three has revealed how her 10-month-old son was severely burnt at nursery.
In February, Giancarlo Enzo Ramis, now one, knocked a pot of scalding water over himself and suffered second, third and fourth degree burns to 35 per cent of his body.
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He was hospitalised for over six weeks and endured numerous extensive surgeries.
Eight months on from his traumatic ordeal, Giancarlo is on the road to recovery and has even taken his first ever steps.
Now, his mum, Eileen Martin-Hidalgo, 40, is speaking out to raise awareness for burns survivors.
The lab technician, from Florida, US, said: “I am horrified by what happened to Giancarlo. We could have lost him.
“But he’s been so brave and is doing really well.
“We want to make sure that this doesn’t happen to anyone else.”
On February 16, Eileen dropped Giancarlo at nursery, leaving him happily with staff.
“I went to work as usual, but at 2pm, I received a call from the nursery,” she said.
“They told me Giancarlo had been badly burnt and to come straight away.”
Eileen sped to the nursery and called her husband, Julio Cesar Ramis, 36, who was working away.
On arrival, Eileen cut off Giancarlo’s clothes, while the nursery workers called for an ambulance.
They explained that he’d knocked a pot of boiling water over himself whilst sitting in a highchair.
Eileen said: “The boiling water had landed on the right-hand side of his body.
“His skin was red raw and he was hysterical.”
Paramedics arrived moments later, and they administered pain relief, before speeding Giancarlo in an ambulance to a nearby secondary school.
Giancarlo was then airlifted to Orlando Health Arnold Palmer Hospital for Children, and Eileen drove the three-hour journey behind.
Eileen said: “When I arrived, doctors told me that, due to the severity of his burns, he needed to be treated at a specialist burns unit.
“He was in so much pain.”
‘SCRUB’ SURGERY
Giancarlo had suffered second, third and fourth degree burns to 35 per cent of his body, including his arms, torso and legs.
He was airlifted to the burns unit at UF Health Shands Children’s Hospital that night.
Eileen met him there, followed by Julio.
Over the next few days, Giancarlo endured a debridement surgery, where surgeons cleaned and scrubbed his burns.
He then had multiple skin grafts, where donor skin was taken from his left thigh and placed on his right arm, leg and torso.
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Eileen said: “Doctors kept Giancarlo sedated to help ease the pain.
“They also inserted a tube up his nose to ensure he was getting enough nutrients.
“After a month, he started to smile again, and he even stood up in his hospital crib.”
Eileen spent every day in hospital with Giancarlo, whilst Julio worked as a load supervisor at an airline company.
Their older children, Helen Alana, 16, and Everly Meadow, two, stayed with family.
In April, after over six weeks in hospital, Giancarlo was finally discharged.
But two weeks later, during his second follow-up appointment, doctors weren’t pleased with how his burns were healing, so he was readmitted for another skin graft surgery on his right leg.
Then in May, Giancarlo returned to hospital for a further skin graft on the same area.
He’s lost the range of motion in his right leg, and his burns often cause him a lot of discomfort
Eileen
Back home, he endured daily physical and occupational therapy, including helping him bend his knees by using steps.
Eileen and Julio were required to massage his burns multiple times a day with a medicated cream.
Eileen said: “We were constantly back and forth to the hospital. It was really hard.”
In June, Giancarlo took his first ever steps at home, and the following month, he was fitted with compression garments to help reduce his scarring.
He’s due to start laser treatment in January.
Eileen said: “We’re so proud of his resilience.
“He’s lost the range of motion in his right leg, and his burns often cause him a lot of discomfort.
“But for now, he’s doing so well.”
To support Giancarlo’s recovery, and his family, visit their GoFundMe page.
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