The annual Christmas Eve service at church had just ended. Jeff, his wife, and 15-month-old daughter, Hannah, were the first ones out of the service. They were standing in the fellowship hall when the minister asked Jeff if he would mind pouring the hot apple cider that was on the kitchen stove into a punch bowl and putting it on the table.
"We asked another church member to keep an eye on Hannah while we went into the kitchen," said Jeff. "I had poured the cider into the punch bowl and was carrying it to the table when the bowl suddenly shattered from the heat of the cider. What I didn't realize was that my daughter unknowingly had started walking toward me."
The church member who was watching Hannah had grabbed her just as the bowl shattered but not in time to prevent some of the hot cider from spilling on her.
"Upon hearing the most God-awful screaming you could imagine, I immediately turned to see that it was coming from my daughter, who also was grabbing at her hands," said Jeff. "I picked her up and ran her to the sink, where I began running cold water over her hands. When we rolled up her sleeves, the skin from her little arms began to peel. At this point, we ran to the car and drove her to the hospital as fast as we could go.
"Once at the emergency room, we discovered that she had some burns on her head and foot, as well as her arm. The doctors and nurses put cold compresses all over her and decided that she was burned over about 12.5 percent of her body. At that point, they decided to move her to Shriner's Burn Hospital in Boston.
"After an ambulance ride, we arrived at Shriner's, where a team of two nurses and a doctor cared for Hannah. They determined that she had first-degree burns on her head and face, second-degree burns on her arm and foot, and third-degree burns on her arm. They gave us the option of spending the night or returning home and coming back in the morning. We decided she would rest better at home and to come back in the morning. It was now that I realized nothing else mattered...not the presents, not the travel plans...only my family mattered."
Christmas morning arrived, and Hannah awoke as if nothing had happened.
"I am still amazed these two years later at how tough my little girl is," said Jeff. "How many times have I complained endlessly about a sunburn?
"We returned to Shriner's on a daily basis for about a month for dressing changes and wound checks, and then the visits went to once a week, once a month, and then every couple of months. Fortunately, the burns healed on their own, and no surgery was required. She does have some scarring on her left arm.
"Shriner's is an amazing place. All of their care is absolutely free of charge; they operate solely on donations.
"I still get teary-eyed thinking or talking about that event to this day, but I feel truly blessed...blessed that someone in church moved her just in time, or she would have been showered by the hot cider...blessed that it wasn't much worse...blessed to live close to some of the greatest medical care in the world...blessed to have such a special little girl. And finally, blessed in that I came to realize the true meaning of Christmas. It's all about family and friends, not stuff.
"Count your blessings," concluded Jeff. "Merry Christmas!"
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