Sydney, 15, had decided to make herself a hot water bottle in an attempt to ease her “excruciating” menstrual cramps. Michelle Wescott heard a “spooky” scream coming from the kitchen before finding her teenage daughter in agony. A mother has recounted her horror after a Primark hot water bottle spilled scalding liquid on her daughter, causing her skin to “bubble and melt”.
But when she sat down to eat, the boiling water covered her thighs and stomach. Now, more than 10 percent of Sydney’s skin is left with blisters and hyperpigmentation, and Michelle hopes to raise awareness about the dangers of using kettle hot water bottles. My girl’s skin bubbled before my eyes and my mind went numb with sheer horror,” said Michelle, an attendance administrator at a Bristol secondary school.
Michelle Wescott’s daughter Sydney Burnt by a Primark hot water bottle
“At first I blamed myself as I thought the lid was not closed properly and wondered how I could have let something like that slip out at my daughter’s expense. “I went into survival mode, as did my daughter, Paige, and husband, Richard, as we all pulled together to make sure she was okay, as I know timing is everything when it comes to burns.”
The mother added: ‘Whatever I did then and there would determine the outcome. “But as my husband continuously sprayed her skin with cold water, I couldn’t help but feel terrified that his skin kept bubbling and melting.”
In a statement, Primark warned: “All of our hot water bottles come with user instructions both on the product label and on the hot water bottle itself, including a warning not to use boiling water.”
Michelle called 999 and an ambulance arrived 20 minutes later, where the teen’s pain was relieved and her burns were wrapped in cling film before she was taken to blue light hospital in November 2022. While there, Sydney was given more painkillers before doctors removed her skin. She glued the film back on to examine the damage.
The burn team performed emergency debridement surgery, where the top layer of damaged skin is scraped off. Over the next three weeks, the family worked together to ensure a speedy recovery, using yoga blocks to support the leg so the teen could sit up and regular hospital visits to have his bandages changed.
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Michelle, who tried to stay strong, found the whole ordeal “heartbreaking” and recalls being “appalled” by the state of her daughter’s leg. She said: “As her skin could not scab because no air was getting into the wound, her thigh turned deep purple and her tissue was so thin that she could see her blood vessels “.
“Over the last few months, she has changed through all the different colors, from red to blue to pink. “Since then, they’ve told her to be very careful with the wound, but there were a couple of times where she tore her skin with a fingernail while she was exercising and regaining muscle strength, which is not pretty.”
Michelle claims that a dent in the Primark water bottle caused the boiling water to overflow and all the protective coating was worn away. She claims to have bought it from the brand a year ago and that the item has a warning label saying it needs to be replaced every two years due to deterioration of the interior that worsens the quality.
However, in a statement, Primark said the label also includes a warning not to use boiling water. The family has reportedly received £250 as a goodwill gesture from the company. But now they hope to raise awareness to prevent this from happening to someone else.
The mother-of-two said: “I’m so surprised as I’ve always filled hot water bottles straight from the kettle.” ‘Now, we are using microwavable wheat bags or TENS machines to help with menstrual cramps. ‘Sydney will be scarred for life, but she has persevered with the treatment, no matter how painful it is, and her skin is improving.
“It hasn’t been as easy as throwing away the hot water bottle and being done with her, as it will be a lifelong trauma for her to deal with.” “I was worried about how it would affect her mentally, but she’s been amazing and I couldn’t be more proud of how well she’s handled it, especially with such bravery.”
“If she uses a hot water bottle, don’t use boiling water, it’s not worth the risk.” Sydney added: “If I can help someone and stop someone from filling a hot water bottle straight from the kettle, then at least something positive has come out of what happened to me.”
‘I can’t change what happened, but I can work to make a change for someone else.’ A Primark spokesperson said: “We are very sorry to learn of this customer’s experience.
“We take the safety and quality of our products very seriously and all of our hot water bottles have been tested and exceed the UK and European standards for safety, quality, and labeling.”
MailOnline has contacted Primark for comment.
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