3-yr-old making s’mores was severely burned when a tabletop fire burst. The community’s response left family speechless
Going through a sudden, tragic incident can be difficult for anyone. But a community's support might make things a little easier. A family was devastated when their 3-year-old suffered from severe third-degree burns because of a fire pit explosion. The boy, Sebastian Reynoso, was making s'mores with his uncle and cousins when the tabletop fire device exploded and severely injured the boy. Then the community stepped in to help the family and made the ordeal a little easier for them, per Mercury News.
The boy was at his Morgan Hill house when the fire pit burst into flames. The device was covered with glass walls, but the fire escaped them and caused severe burns on Sebastian's face, neck and arms. He suffered from 15 percent burns and the family's lives changed within seconds. The kid had to be at the hospital for a month as he received treatment for his burns. His airway was swollen and narrowed because of the incident and he had to undergo surgery to fix that. The boy had to get a tracheostomy to breathe properly again. Several skin grafts had to be done to help with the burns since the incident happened in early October.
"His future is kind of unknown. I don't wish this on anybody, even my worst enemy…It's very hard, especially for a 3-year-old," the boy's dad, Omar, explained. The dad, who works as a pilot, had landed in Phoenix, Arizona, when the incident happened. He received a call from his wife and she explained what had happened. The family present there had to take the boy to the emergency room immediately. "That was one of the hardest days of my life. Being somewhere else, not knowing what’s going on." The dad returned early the next morning to check on Sebastian. The boy had been intubated because of the swelling in his throat. He couldn't breathe properly due to his narrowed airway.
Doctors had to give him a tracheostomy after a few weeks because the tubes were harming his airways even more. Sebastian's recovery might take quite some time. He would have to go through multiple surgeries, laser treatments and rehabilitation to get better. "He's a very strong kid. The healing process of his burns, they said it's going to take a year until we kind of fully see what it's actually going to look like, because right now his skin is just all pink and red," Omar shared. The family started a GoFundMe page to help with the ongoing medical expenses for Sebastian. They were able to raise $62,7 out of their $200,000 goal. The boy's parents found their community's support overwhelming and unbelievable.
"I never thought the community would step in and reach out and help out. My wife and I – we are so thankful, like we were shocked." Sebastian would have to stay at the hospital for at least another month. The parents don't know if the boy understood exactly what had happened to him. But he knew it was because of the fire. The fire pit was from a brand called Rozato and cost around $15. It was fueled by either rubbing alcohol or bioethanol. The United States Consumer Product Safety Commission had issued a consumer alert about firepits that use alcohol. They were considered a fire hazard and sellers were told to stop selling them and consumers were told to stop buying them. The family wasn't aware of the warning at the time of the incident.