I was making my cup of tea & the next moment I went up in flames – when I saw myself I thought my life was over
LEANING over her gas stove to make a cup of tea as she had done dozens of times before, Lourdes Cuello suddenly felt a surge of heat flood the top half of her body.
Terrifyingly, the 50-year-old’s long, brunette hair and hoodie had caught the flames and both her neck and chest were on fire.
Hearing her screams, Lourdes’ daughter, Vaylin, 24, raced to the mum of two’s aid and managed to put out the flames – but the damage was already done.
Lourdes suffered third-degree burns and went on to endure multiple extensive surgeries between April and July 2018 to save her torched skin.
Now, adjusting to the scars left by the burns, Lourdes, who works in Health Information Management, is speaking out to give hope to other burns’ victims.
She says: “It took me a long time to get used to my new appearance, but I’ve finally learnt that beauty is skin deep.
“I want to encourage others to never give up.”
In April 2018, Lourdes was enjoying a relaxing evening at home and after putting curl cream in her hair, she headed into her kitchen to make a cup of tea.
Lourdes recalls: “I lit my gas stove and as I leaned over to place the kettle on the hob, my hair and hoodie caught on fire.
“For a moment, I just stood there in shock. But then I realised my neck and chest were ablaze.
“I screamed and my daughter raced into the kitchen.”
Vaylin, from New Jersey, USA, bravely pulled off Lourdes’ hoodie before putting her head in the sink and running cold water onto her.
She then called Lourdes’ son, Jordan, 33, who lived nearby.
The siblings helped Lourdes into the car and raced her to Thomas Jefferson University Hospital in New Jersey.
Lourdes says: “Strangely, I couldn’t feel any pain.”
At A&E, doctors assessed Lourdes’ burns and were concerned that she couldn’t feel the after effects of the fire.
She was taken by ambulance to the burns unit at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital in Philadelphia, where her upper body was dressed in bandages.
Doctors confirmed that Lourdes had suffered third-degree burns to her neck, chest, left shoulder and armpit and the fire had burnt through her nerve endings, which explained why she didn’t feel pain.
Lourdes explains: “They told me I was going to need surgery.
“My head was shaved so they could see the extent of my injuries and when I saw myself for the first time, it felt like my life was over.”
The following day, Lourdes endured her first skin graft, where donor skin was taken from her left thigh and placed onto her burns.
Lourdes says: “Afterwards, I was in agony.
Sometimes you have to go through the worst of times before life gets really good
Lourdes Cuello
“My doctor, Dr. Hughes, and the nurses were amazing though. They helped bathe and dress me.
“Eventually, I felt strong enough to get out of bed and walk around the hospital.”
Sadly, Lourdes’ first skin graft didn’t take, so after three weeks, she endured a second surgery.
This time, surgeons took skin from her right thigh and attached it to her burns.
Lourdes remembers: “The pain was even worse this time because I was still healing from my first surgery.
“Doctors warned me that I may never have mobility in my left arm again.”
Eventually, Lourdes was moved to a rehabilitation unit to continue her recovery.
What should you do if you suffer a burn?
Appropriate first aid must be used to treat any burns or scalds as soon as possible. This will limit the amount of damage to your skin.
You can apply the following first aid techniques to yourself or another person who’s been burnt:
- Stop the burning process as soon as possible. This may mean removing the person from the area, dousing flames with water, or smothering flames with a blanket. Do not put yourself at risk of getting burnt as well.
- Remove any clothing or jewellery near the burnt area of skin, including babies’ nappies. But do not try to remove anything that’s stuck to the burnt skin, as this could cause more damage.
- Cool the burn with cool or lukewarm running water for 20 minutes as soon as possible after the injury. Never use ice, iced water, or any creams or greasy substances like butter.
- Keep yourself or the person warm. Use a blanket or layers of clothing, but avoid putting them on the injured area. Keeping warm will prevent hypothermia, where a person’s body temperature drops below 35C (95F). This is a risk if you’re cooling a large burnt area, particularly in young children and elderly people.
- Cover the burn with cling film. Lay the cling film over the burn, rather than wrapping it around a limb. A clean, clear plastic bag can be used for burns on your hand.
- Treat the pain from a burn with paracetamol or ibuprofen. Always check the manufacturer’s instructions when using over-the-counter medication. Children under 16 years of age should not be given aspirin.
- Raise the affected area, if possible. This will help to reduce swelling.
Once you have taken these steps, you’ll need to decide whether further medical treatment is necessary.
Go to a hospital accident and emergency (A&E) department for:
- large burns bigger than the size of the affected person’s hand
- deep burns of any size that cause white or charred skin
- burns on the face, neck, hands, feet, any joints, or genitals
- all chemical and electrical burns
- any other injuries that need treating
- any signs of shock – symptoms include cold, clammy skin, sweating, rapid, shallow breathing, and weakness or dizziness
You should also go to hospital if you or the person who has been burned:
- is under the age of ten.
- has a medical condition, such as heart, lung or liver disease, or diabetes
- has a weakened immune system (the body’s defence system) – for example, because of HIV or AIDS, or because they’re having chemotherapy for cancer
Source: NHS
There, she was taught to shower to avoid her burns and improve her coordination by walking up and down the stairs.
After six weeks in hospital, Lourdes was finally well enough to go home but says she found it difficult to adjust.
“I was really struggling, but my kids were a huge support,” she recalls.
“Vaylin helped me dress and took me to my doctor’s appointments, while Jordan did my food shopping.”
Two months later, in July 2018, Lourdes returned to hospital for a third skin graft.
From then on, she was on the road to recovery and began to feel more like her old self.
She explains: “My wounds started to heal, and my hair grew back.
“But it took a while to get used to the scarring covering my neck and chest.”
Lourdes was required to wear compression garments on her neck, all day, every day.
Back to work
Seven months after the accident, she returned to work and in 2021, she met her partner who she says “never saw me for my burns” and took her to medical appointments.
Now, Lourdes can’t drive due to the lack of mobility in her neck, and she sometimes feels small shocks of pain in that area. She also never cooks or makes drinks on the stove when she’s home alone.
But while her experience left her emotionally scarred, Lourdes says she often forgets about her physical ones.
She explains: “I often forget about my burns.
“I’m so grateful to have had a huge support system.
“Sometimes you have to go through the worst of times before life gets really good.”