Mom Warns Other Parents After 4-Year-Old Gets Severe Burns From Hot Park Slide

With 2018 on track to be another scorching summer, spending time in the outdoors is something many people are skeptical of doing.

Although if you do decide to go outside and enjoy the warm weather, one mother is warning parents not to let their children go down slides in the park, especially if they're wearing shorts.

Dawna Wright decided to take her four-year-old daughter Asia to John Anderson Park in Grandview, Missouri on Memorial Day, but didn't anticipate how harmful the sun's rays would be.

She said that her daughter was excited to play with the other kids at the splash park, and quickly headed for the slide.

"She saw a bunch of children playing on the play equipment and she kept wanting to go over there," Wright explained. "We went to go back to the water and she ran from me and went on the slide. That's when she was instantly burned."

Wright posted pictures of her daughter's legs on Facebook, which were covered in second degree burns.

"It was frightening. It was sad and scary. I felt so bad for her," she said, adding that she was absolutely shocked. "You could tell that the skin was just gone. It just completely took her skin away."

"I just assumed that it was safe because all these children were playing and they were playing just fine," Wright continued.

On the evening of June 28, Action 41 News used a laser temperature gun to determine the heat levels on the slide in question, which determined the surface of the slide was 155 degrees in the sun.

Although the incident was more than a month ago and the slide has since been closed off from the heat, Wright says her daughter still has scars from the slide.

She said that even though some mothers have accused her of failing to watch Asia at the park, she asserted the accident could happen to anyone.

"'Everybody says, 'That wouldn't be me, that wouldn't be my child. I could never let this happen to my child.' It could happen to you. It really could," she warned.

How to treat your burn

While you may not always be able to protect your skin from a sunburn, there are plenty of ways to treat it from getting worse.

1. Cold water

One of the first things you should do after getting a burn is running it under cool water (not cold) for 20 minutes. Wash it with soap and water afterwards.

2. Cold Compress

After you clean your burn, put a cold compress (not ice) on the affected area for five to 15 minute intervals to lessen the pain and swelling. However, be aware if you use it too often you will make your skin burn more.

3. Antibiotic cream and over-the-counter medication

Another solution is to cover your burn in antibiotic cream, such as Bacitracin or Neosporin and then cover it in cling wrap to heal your wound. If the pain becomes too much, take over-the-counter medication, like Advil or Motrin to relieve yourself of the symptoms.

4. Aloe vera

Aloe vera is a popular plant used to treat burns because it has anti-inflammatory properties, promotes circulation, and prevents the growth of bacteria. If you're using aloe vera straight from the plant, simply apply a single layer of the gel onto the burn. If you're using aloe vera ointment bought from the store, make sure it's free from any coloring or smells.

5. Don't pop the blisters

Although we often can't help ourselves touching our blisters, it's imperative not to pop them. If you don't leave them alone, not only can they scar, but it can also lead to an infection.

With the warm weather now among us, and slides shouldn't be the only thing you should watch out for. Be sure to check out these warnings so everyone has a fun but safe summer:

[H/T: Metro, Healthline]