A six-year-old girl needed amputations after being caught in a house fire caused by candles burning indoors.
Kenzie was on a family holiday last December when an unattended candle in the apartment below got too close to the sofa and set it alight.
Kenzie, whose surname hasn’t been revealed, hid in a bedroom until firefighters found her surrounded by flames.
She was rushed to hospital where it was discovered 68 per cent of her body was burnt, including her face, scalp, back and limbs.
Her skin became infected, meaning she needed six surgeries, including skin grafts and the removal of the fingers and toes on her left side.
Kenzie, six, needed amputations after a house fire caused by burning candles indoors. Pictured before the incident
Kenzie, six, was on a family holiday in December 2018 when an unattended candle in the apartment below got too close to the sofa and set it alight. Pictured in hospital after her head needed to be shaved to get to the burns on her scalp
It was discovered 68 per cent of her body was burnt, including her face, scalp, back (pictured) and limbs
Kenzie now has to wear garments and splints for 22 hours a day while she recovers
Her mother, Jessica, who was not there during the fire, said: ‘This one household decoration has turned my daughters whole life upside down.
‘I want to make the dangers of lighting candles known so that this doesn’t happen to anyone else’s little one.’
On December 16, Jessica, a former chef, from Indiana, received a phone call from Kenzie’s father telling her what had happened.
She said: ‘After being in the fire for three minutes, Kenzie was rescued by firefighters and rushed to hospital to treat her burns.
‘Obviously I got to the hospital as quickly as I could and as soon as I walked in to the ward I knew how serious this was.
‘She was black from head to toe and evidently in so much pain.
‘She was then airlifted to a children’s hospital, and it was here that I found out that she had 68 per cent burns on her body and that she would need multiple surgeries.’
Kenzie’s mother, Jessica, said she rushed to hospital, pictured, after hearing the news about her daughter, who she was not with during the incident
Jessica was told Kenzie would have to have her fingers and toes on the left side of her body removed, as they had completely died (pictured, her left hand)
Jessica said her heart broke when Kenzie woke up from surgery and didn’t know where her fingers and toes had gone. Pictured, her left foot after toes were amputated
Jessica said: ‘Unfortunately on her third surgery [December 27] Kenzie had to have her beautiful blonde hair removed, as the burns had covered her scalp’
Kenzie was in hospital recovering for three months. Pictured, the burns on her face
Burns that exceed 30 per cent of a person’s body can be fatal, according to the National Institutes of Health.
After being admitted to hospital, Kenzie endured six surgeries over the course of a month to clear her skin of infection that had been caused by the density of her burns.
Jessica said: ‘It was only two days after she went to hospital that Kenzie had her first surgery to help reduce all of the swelling in her body.
‘From this point onwards, Kenzie had biweekly surgeries to remove all of the dead skin and replace it with the surviving skin on her thigh, as well as clearing her body from infection that she had accrued.
‘Unfortunately on her third surgery [December 27] Kenzie had to have her beautiful blonde hair removed, as the burns had covered her scalp.
The most devastating news was before the fourth surgery on January 3, when Jessica was told Kenzie would have to have her fingers and toes on the left side of her body removed, as they had been left completely unusable.
Extensive burns can lead to a loss of blood supply. Amputation of fingers is more common than amputation of limbs.
Jessica said: ‘This was one of the hardest things for her to understand, as she suddenly woke up and couldn’t figure out where her hands and fingers had gone – which completely broke my heart.’
The same month, Kenzie took her first steps without her left toes before being moved to the rehab unit in February.
She was finally discharged from hospital on March 12 and returned to school on April 4, despite her new life including wearing splints and garments for 22 hours a day.
Kenzie’s family worry that she won’t live a normal life due to the severity of the burns. Pictured in hospital
Kenzie had surgeries to remove all of the dead skin and replace it with the surviving skin from her thigh. Pictured, in hospital with her scalp bandaged
Kenzie went to a rehab centre in February where she learnt to walk without her toes
Jessica, pictured with Kenzie before the fire, is speaking out about the dangers of leaving candles unattended
Jessica said: ‘Kenzie is a very brave girl and has made amazing progress since leaving hospital – we are all so very proud of her.
‘One of the sayings that has kept her going is “I’m beautiful, I’m strong, I’ve walked through fire – what’s your superpower?” and this has been prominent in her journey.
Although Kenzie has already made fast progress, her family are concerned with how altered her life will be.
Jessica said: ‘We worry that she’s not going to develop like a normal girl, and her amputations will cause difficulty with every day tasks.
‘As amazing as she is, this situation could have easily been avoided if a candle wasn’t lit in the first place – and that’s what I want people to know.
‘Hopefully by seeing what my baby has been through, people will stop leaving candles unattended and see the life changing affects it can have.’
Kenzie’s family have created t-shirts to help fundraise for her medical treatment and recovery.