The dinner turned into a nightmare when Lily-Rose’s father tried to put more fuel in the small Hibachi-type table barbecue. While filling the still-hot container, a fireball formed and headed straight for the young girl. Her body then caught fire.
“It was her 15-year-old brother who smothered the fire with a pillow, he acted really quickly,” says Lily-Rose’s godmother, Isabelle Boulay, still in shock.
The teenager’s father also tried to put the girl out by holding her against his body.
“Even though it burned, he told me that his father’s heart didn’t want to let go of her.”
— Isabelle Boulay
The hours that followed were extremely difficult for Lily-Rose, who remained conscious until she was put into an induced coma. Her face and forearms were particularly affected, with third-degree burns. Her chest and legs also received second-degree burns. Currently hospitalized at the Montreal Children’s Hospital, she will have to undergo skin grafts.
“She is no longer in a coma and her condition is stable, but she is receiving strong medication for the pain. She will remain in hospital for at least a month,” said Isabelle Boulay.
That’s why a crowdfunding campaign was launched on the Go Fund Me platform. As of Tuesday morning, more than $13,000 in donations had already been raised in just two days. This amount will allow Lily-Rose’s parents to take care of their daughter without worrying about the financial side.
“They have some family in Montreal, but not very close. They don’t have any clothes there. They didn’t expect to receive so much money, we cry about it. It takes a thorn out of my sister’s side, she’s not about to start working again,” says Ms. Boulay.
The parents of the young girl who attends the Odyssée Lafontaine in Chicoutimi were burned while trying to rescue her, but their injuries are minor.
A device to avoid?
After last Saturday’s traumatic event, Isabelle Boulay advises people not to use small Hibachi-type stoves. These devices are recommended by some consumers, particularly because of their small size.
Hibachi type stove (Amazon)
“We’ve told everyone we know who has one to get rid of it,” she says.
Health Canada is indeed advising caution when using fondue pans. When liquid fuel is poured into a burner while it is still hot, “flames can be violently projected from the container onto people or objects nearby,” the department states on its website.
It is therefore recommended to use a second cold stove if the first one no longer has fuel.
