Tot beating odds, burn doctors say

Associated Press

SEATTLE — A toddler critically burned over 65 percent of her body in a house fire earlier this month may fully recover, doctors and relatives say.

Emily Woodrow, 16 months old, has been upgraded from critical to serious condition after undergoing three surgeries to repair damage from burns that were so severe doctors initially gave her a 25 percent chance of survival.

"She’s a tough little cookie," said Dr. David Heimbach, director of the University of Washington burn unit at Harborview Medical Center.

The only parts of the child’s body that didn’t suffer third-degree burns were her scalp and the area protected by her diaper.

Explaining how much energy it takes for burn victims to simply survive from day to day, Heimbach said, "Imagine yourself running a marathon 24 hours a day."

Doctors are applying artificial skin — a cellophanelike substance called Integra — to areas where burned skin has been removed, Harborview spokeswoman Susan Gregg-Hanson said.

Integra serves as a barrier to infection, helping the body regenerate dermis, the underlayer of the skin. Thin grafts of skin from the girl’s midsection and scalp eventually will be used to help her regenerate skin over the Integra, Gregg-Hanson said.

"There is still a possibility for infection," Heimbach said. "Her biggest problem is she doesn’t have enough skin."

Meanwhile, arson detectives with the Seattle Police Department are conducting a criminal investigation into the May 1 fire, which started in the child’s bedroom.

"At this point, there is no indication that someone broke into the house and set this fire," police spokesman Duane Fish said.

Investigators also have determined the fire did not start accidentally. No electrical appliance in the room was plugged in, and there were no candles in the room. Smoking was not allowed in the girl’s room because she has asthma.

The girl’s grandfather, Rick Woodrow, escaped the fire but suffered burns on his hands, apparently during a desperate attempt to save her. The child’s mother, Michelle Woodrow, 19, was not injured.

At a news conference on Tuesday, Rick Woodrow said he holds his breath and prays every time he steps out of the ninth-floor elevator at Harborview. "I take it hour by hour," he said. "I just want to hear her say, ‘Hi, grandpa.’ "