Tough recovery for little burn victim

Toti’s young burn victim is having a tough time dealing with her recovery.

Two-year-old Willow Malan was scalded with hot water in April after she pulled at the cord of a kettle and the scalding water fell over the right side of her face and body.

“Willow has had a very rough week and while her healing has been miraculous, this has been the first time she has truly shown heartache,” said her mother, Lorna. “I noticed the change the very first time she wore the pressure garment, but I thought it was just her initial reaction to it.

She started to withdraw from daily activities as soon as the garment went on. She sits in a corner or lies on her bed staring into space, not saying a word and despite my efforts to comfort her, she doesn’t respond.

Recently she started crying silently and whimpering. She then becomes very clingy and only finds comfort in lying on my chest. Occasionally she will return to normal, but she prefers then to do something that doesn’t involve much effort. It has broken my heart, because I now have a completely different child.”

Burn victims wear pressure garments while their scars heal. Garments are worn as long as possible and Willow will keep hers on for up to 13 hours a day for more than a year.

“We have decided to make contact with a child psychologist to understand why she is showing this particular behaviour and how to help her cope,” said Lorna.

Willow is currently using a cheaper brand of silicone on her wounds, which is not ideal. However, the preferred brand costs R1,000 a sheet. “We cannot afford this, unless we get in a lot more funding. Another problem is Willow’s ear cannot be covered with the garment due to the risk of flattening, so we have been advised on an alternative treatment for her ear, which will start next week.

We were told a good therapy for Willow is to interact with horses. We have leased a pony called Moonlight at a local ranch in Amanzimtoti. She will ride, groom and love the pony as her own every Sunday. Her passion is horses, so we hope this will ease her trauma and bring her back to the place she was before.

We thank everyone who deposited money into Willow’s account – we are truly grateful and humbled by your generosity,” said Lorna.

If you can help assist the family with her medical bills, Willow has her own account which is solely used for medical purposes. Her banking details are: Miss Willow Malan, Nedbank, account type: Current/cheque, account number: 1105261468, branch code: 130627.

Her progress can be tracked on her Facebook page ‘Prayers for Princess Willow’.