'Playful' 10-Year-Old Girl Suffers Severe Burns After Propane Tank Catches Fire at Family Gathering

Joelle Goldstein
·4 min read

GoFundMe Isla Cook

A family gathering took a devastating turn for one 10-year-old girl after her loved ones say a leaking propane tank caught fire and caused severe burns to approximately half of her body.

Isla Clare Cook has been recovering in a Phoenix burn unit hospital ever since the "freak accident" involving the fiery propane tank, according to a GoFundMe page that was set up on her behalf.

Katelyn Williams, who organized the fundraiser, said Isla's body got caught in the "brunt of the ten-foot flames," which left her with "second and third-degree burns covering 45% of her body, and large first-degree burns in other areas."

"It's tragic, an absolute tragic situation," Justin Cook, Isla's father, told AzFamily.com. "Watching my daughter go up in flames, it's the hardest thing I ever had to do."

RELATED: Woman Suffers Facial Burns After Hibachi Grill 'Exploded' During Birthday Celebration

Justin told the outlet that the incident unfolded on June 6 during a pool party at their Peoria home, where he was using the propane tank to grill.

After the tank caught fire and spread to Isla's body, the little girl was rushed to the hospital. There, Williams said staff worked tirelessly to "clean and re-bandage her burns over and over again."

"It won't be until her surgery that they know how long her recovery will take," the GoFundMe page reads. "During this surgery, they will need to do skin grafts."

According to Williams, Isla's best-case scenario is to get transferred to a Primary Children's Hospital in a month. However, there is a chance that she may have to stay in the hospital's burn unit for at least ten months while doctors perform skin grafts from cadavers.

"This is a very excruciating beginning of what will be a painfully long process," Williams wrote on the fundraiser.

With Isla's future uncertain, Williams set up the GoFundMe in order to help her family with medical and care expenses. So far, the page has raised over $73,000 of its $200,000 goal.

RELATED: 'Kind and Special' 10-Year-Old Boy Drowns Saving His Little Sister's Life

While asking for donations, Williams noted that Isla was so deserving of the help because "she is always thinking of others and is often finding ways to do acts of service for her family and friends."

"Isla is the oldest of five kids. She is a huge help to her momma; especially with her one year old twin siblings," the page reads. "She is so much fun and has a bold, playful personality. She loves to bake all kinds of yummy treats and loves to sing and play the piano."

Though she enjoys baking and music, Williams and Isla's parents agreed that nothing compares to her love for gymnastics.

"At almost any given moment, Isla is twisting, bending, or flipping," Williams wrote. "She dedicates several hours a day to gymnastics and recently became an Optional level 6. She is basically a rockstar."

RELATED VIDEO: Burned and Disfigured In A Fire, A Young Mom Finds Strength In Her Daughter and Her Faith: 'Everything Happens for A Reason'

Added her mom, Alyssa Cook, to AzFamily.com: "I want her out of pain... She's a fighter. We are really thankful she has been doing gymnastics for years to be strong and push through things."

"We want her to make a full recovery and have her be the normal perfect child she is," Justin told the outlet.

As her family continues to work through this difficult time, fire officials are urging parents to take precautions when it comes to grilling with propane tanks.

Peoria Fire Capt. Mark Barbee told AzFamily.com he suggests monitoring propane tanks frequently to ensure they aren't over-pressurized, have a loose handle, or a poor overall condition.

"It's unfortunate. People have been seriously hurt and worse," Barbee explained to the outlet. "Keep those kids away from the barbecues. Keep the actual barbecue at least 10 feet away from the house. Make sure the rubber hoses are intact and they're in good shape."

Those interested in donating to Isla's GoFundMe can do so here.

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