A 12-year-old boy was left hospitalised with severe burns after his pals threw boiling water on his face during what they called a sleepover “prank”.
The child, from Georgia, US, dozed off at his neighbour’s apartment in Tifton while his three friends, aged between 12 and 15, played video games, the boy’s mum, Tiffany West, said. She claims one of the boys thought it would be a funny prank to pour the scolding water on her son, leaving him with second-degree burns, mostly on his face.
The boy was taken to a nearby burn centre where he had to undergo surgery and is now recovering at home, West told WALB. “I mean, I really can’t describe it now. In that moment I was just mad, hurt, in shock. Everything, I was seeing red. I was just trying to hurry up and get him some help,” she said.
Tifton police arrested the three boys and then released them to their families to await their court hearings next month. When asked by his aunt, Nachelle Austile, if he was “mad or sad” the boy failed to show any emotion.
Tifton police arrested the three boys
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Image:
WALB)
“He’s numb about it,” she said. “You got to be in shock to know your friends are capable of doing this to you. Like somebody you trusted, it’s just horrible. He never thought something like this would happen to him,” Austile added.
According to the NHS, second-degree burns typically take around two weeks to heal, but the healing time can vary depending on the size and location of the burn. More severe burns usually leave a scar. The family have been dealt a further blow as they face mounting medical bills, which they’ve struggled to afford as they stopped working since the incident.
“My brother and Tiffany have been out of work since this happened with all the traveling,” Austile said. “She is still gonna be out of work to take care of him while he is recovering. She needs to be here for him.” She added her nephew would also need counseling to “be able to trust people again” and mentally recover from the incident.
West took to Facebook to thank the public for sending donations and “encouraging words” to the family. She wrote: “I woke up to SO much LOVE being shown to my son! Words can’t describe how Thankful I am for each & every one of you! It brings tears to my eyes to know that SO many people care for me & my son & we are not alone in this.”
“All of your donations are very APPRECIATED & it’s all for my son! Every donation, gift, encouraging words & prayer put a SMILE on my son face!” she added.