A Kentucky family is warning other parents after a 22-month-old boy suffered devastating burns when he pulled a Crock-Pot down from a kitchen counter.
Daelyn Davis was rushed by helicopter to Vanderbilt Children’s Hospital in Nashville after the accident at his home in Somerset on Friday, July 17.
His aunt, Abigail Davis, said she was stunned when she received a call telling her the toddler was being airlifted for emergency treatment.
“I was like, ‘What do you mean?’” she told LEX 18. “And [Daelyn’s mother] said that he had pulled the cord down on himself.”
Abigail said the news left her terrified.
“Oh my God, I was devastated. I was heartbroken, like my heart was racing,” she said. “I couldn’t go back to sleep, that’s for sure. I was just freaking out.”
According to the family, Daelyn’s mother had been using the slow cooker to prepare a roast while the appliance was connected to an extension cord.
“She’s cooked it like that multiple times before,” Abigail told WKYT. “I guess my nephew got a hold of it when my sister walked into the other room.”
The toddler managed to grab the cord and pull the hot appliance off the counter, causing its contents to spill onto him.
Doctors said Daelyn suffered third-degree burns over approximately 20% of his body, including his right side and part of his head.
The little boy has shown signs of progress during his hospital stay, but his recovery remains difficult.
“The past couple of days, he’s been up and walking around and drinking on his own,” Abigail told LEX 18.
However, she said he has struggled with a feeding tube and has recently been vomiting frequently.
“He’s not doing so good with the feeding tube,” she explained. “So they’re trying to figure that out right now.”
Daelyn was also scheduled to undergo a skin graft procedure as doctors worked to treat his most serious burns.
His mother, a first-time parent, has reportedly been overwhelmed by guilt since the accident.
“Everything is new to her as it is,” Abigail said. “She’s already definitely feeling the guilt from this and blaming herself, and she’s dealing with a lot of backlash already.”
Despite the criticism, Abigail said the family’s only concern is helping Daelyn heal.
“She just wants her son to get better,” she said. “When one parent hurts, we all hurt, and that’s just what I keep saying.”
Abigail created a GoFundMe campaign to help cover the family’s mounting medical bills and living expenses. The fundraiser had collected more than $9,000 as of the latest update.
“My family is very thankful and grateful for all the support from everyone we’re receiving,” she told WKYT. “All the prayers, just the good vibes and everything sent our way, is really what we are the most thankful for.”
Crock-Pot’s parent company, Newell Brands, had not immediately commented on the incident.
The U.S. Fire Administration warns consumers never to connect cooking appliances to extension cords.
“Never use an extension cord for a cooking appliance,” the agency advises, urging people to plug appliances directly into wall outlets and regularly inspect electrical cords for cracks or damage.
The agency also recommends remaining in the kitchen while cooking and keeping flammable materials, including towels, paper products, oven mitts and food packaging, away from heat sources.
For Daelyn’s family, the frightening accident has become a painful reminder of how quickly an ordinary moment in the kitchen can turn into an emergency.
