Jules and his family, including mother his mother Kate, spent six weeks at B.C. Children's Hospital in Vancouver following a kitchen accident which left Jules burnt on his arms, face and chest. (submitted photo)

By Alex Rawnsley

STEP BY STEP

‘He’s got a really brave attitude:’ Nanaimo family moving forward after life-altering burn accident

Jun 15, 2022 | 4:52 PM

Editors note: This story contains graphic images of burn injuries. Reader discretion is advised.

NANAIMO — It was a split second which permanently altered the course of a family’s life.

Following a day of skiing at Mt. Seymour, north of Vancouver in March 2019, Kate Walker and her two sons were preparing soup for dinner at their Vancouver home when her youngest, Jules, offered to help out in the kitchen.

Walker said she welcomed the chance to again cook with her nearly four-year-old son and said he could help while she was putting items into a compost bin under the kitchen sink.

“While I was at the compost, he pulled a little toddler chair up next to the counter, close to the stove not right in front of it…and he stepped up on it and reached toward the pot because there was a spoon sticking out of the pot.”

vehicle damage

Over 40 vehicles damaged during late-night Nanaimo vandalism spree

4h ago

rising costs

RDN taxpayers want relief as board grapples with budget

8h ago

new mayor

Spring Mayoral by-election called in Ladysmith

22h ago

Walker turned just in time to see the chair slip out from underneath Jules, causing him to fall.

“As he was falling back, to catch his fall he grabbed for something and that turned out to be a spoon that was sticking out of the pot and pulled the pot of boiling soup down on top of himself,” Walker told NanaimoNewsNOW.

Jules was rushed to B.C. Children’s Hospital in March 2019 after a pot of soup fell onto him. He has undergone 10 surgeries with more in his future. (submitted photo)

Time stood still for Walker.

What was in reality a split second, felt like an eternity and both her and Jules as they went into a state of shock and even denial with Walker first telling herself in the moment the soup was cold or even not registering what had happened.

A quick snap back to the situation saw Walker pick up Jules, pull his still-burning clothes away from his skin and take him to a nearby bathtub where she submerged the areas in cold water.

Jules sustained burns to the side of his head, both arms and his chest, while Walker received second degree burns on her hands from his clothes.

A frantic call to 911 saw the family rushed for care and the start of a six week stay at B.C. Children’s Hospital.

Living in a hospital room allowed Walker, her husband and Jules’ older brother to fully realize what had happened and how they would move forward.

“I was traumatized myself, I was in a tremendous amount of pain personally. As his mom, it was really hard to find the strength to be strong for him when I was in so much pain and trauma myself.”

Jules received specialized care at B.C. Children’s Hospital following his accident. (submitted photo)

Walker credited the staff at B.C. Children’s Hospital for the way they worked with Jules, who was kept heavily medicated for pain throughout his stay, and the family.

Child psychologists and child life specialists visited regularly to speak with everyone and ensure all questions were answered.

“We would talk about ways to frame it and explain it to him that were age appropriate that he could understand that were accurate but also not scary,” Walker said. “You would talk about how the doctors were going to borrow some skin from other parts of his body to make skin bandaids to fix the areas.”

Eventually the family returned home in Vancouver, ahead of a move to Nanoose Bay in September 2020 and a new permanent home in Nanaimo in May 2022.

Jules has gone through 10 surgeries to date, with more scheduled as he gets older to remove and adjust scar tissue with his growing body.

“He really rose to the occasion of all the challenges he had to face and it’s made him a really strong, resilient kid,” Walker said. “He’s got a really brave attitude about all of it and he’s come to a place where he’s started to accept his story and integrate this experience into who he is and his identity.”

It means Jules, now seven-years-old, is well on his way to his goal of being an “engineer animal rescuer.”

Walker mentioned Jules is now owning more of his life story, which involves scarring from his accident in March 2019. (submitted photo)

The family was also able to connect with a variety of resources to help outside of Jules’ immediate recovery and care needs.

The B.C. Professional Firefighters Burn Fund helped the family with supports, including mental health care.

The fund also recently made a $1 million commitment to B.C. Children’s Hospital for an upgraded burn care suit to better meet patient needs.

Once Jules was able, the family was also part of a pilot group at Little Lionhearts Family Camp, linking families of burn incidents together.

Walker said both Jules and his older brother Marlowe were able to interact with other kids, while the parents connected with others who’d experienced similar events.

“Although so many toddlers get burned every year, when you’re going through a critical burn trauma like that, particularly that home nursing piece when you’re at home caring for your child, it can be a lonely experience. Having the opportunity to connect with others who could relate and understand is huge.”

More information on the B.C. Burn Fund is available through their website.

Jules’ family, including big brother Marlowe, were part of a pilot group to Little Lionhearts Family Camp which connected them with other families who have similar lived experiences with burns. (submitted photo)

Join the conversation. Submit your letter to NanaimoNewsNOW and be included on The Water Cooler, our letters to the editor feature.

info@nanaimonewsnow.com

On Twitter: @NanaimoNewsNOW