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Metal Chair Burns: Woman Suffers Third-Degree Injuries
26 Jun
Summary
- 82-year-old woman sustained third-degree burns on 30% of her body.
- Metal pool chair intensified burns, damaging tissue down to bone.
- She required hospitalization, ventilator, dialysis, and multiple operations.
An 82-year-old woman, Betty Lou Summer, experienced a life-threatening ordeal on June 11 when she fell asleep at a community pool in San Tan Valley, Arizona. The scorching Arizona heat, combined with contact with a metal pool chair, resulted in devastating third-degree burns covering approximately 30% of her body, with damage extending to the muscle and bone.
Found unconscious by passers-by, Summer was rushed to Valleywise Burn Center. Doctors there treated her for severe heat stroke, liver and kidney damage, and shock. Her daughter revealed that parts of her mother's body, particularly where she touched the metal chair, were severely damaged, with the tip of one finger lost.
Summer has undergone multiple surgeries to remove dead skin and is expected to remain in the hospital for at least another month. She will require significant skin grafting. Her daughter emphasized the heightened risks for older individuals due to thinner skin and slower healing, using her mother's experience to warn others about sun exposure dangers.
