Be very wary

My BFF has spent the last week of her life in the Children's Hospital downtown with her soon-to-be eight year-old daughter--who got some skin grafts for the New Year! Seems there was a ugly combination of a long plugged-in flat iron, a can of hairspray next to it, a little fingernail polish remover in-use and the ultimate ingredient of...a little burning tea-light candle at the far end of the bathroom vanity.

Seems the little girl bumped into the hairspray, which was apparently overheated from sitting next to the flat iron. The can sprayed out under pressure and went right into the burning candle at the far end. There was some sort of flash fire and the fumes from the nail polish remover hovering around her hands ignited, burning the backs of both hands and spot on her neck below her chin.

We are all praising the Lord that her daddy was in the living room, in direct sight and saw the entire thing. He was able to fling the child out of the bathroom, douse the flames and while he did inhale searing fumes; he was not badly harmed.

She is being released today; will probably not return to school until February and will wear pressure garments on her hands and neck for a year. Again, the critical component in this near-tragedy: a burning candle.

Candles are fun. Candles smell great. And, candles can be deadly. Do not ever underestimate the danger in a burning flame, no matter how small.