Woman suffers second degree burns as 'out of date' hot water bottle explodes

A young woman has issued a stark warning about the risks of using outdated hot water bottles after suffering severe burns when hers burst. Jessica Shanks, 25, was using the bottle to ease her stomach cramps in bed when it ruptured on October 12, sending scalding water over her legs and groin.

The incident left Jessica in excruciating pain, causing her to faint as her partner Finley quickly cooled her burns with cold water and her mother hurried to get medical help.

After being rushed to the local hospital, Jessica was diagnosed with second-degree burns and subsequently spent two and a half weeks in the hospital's burn unit. During her recovery, which included skin graft surgery, Jessica endured such intense pain that she required gas and air for showering.

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Reflecting on the ordeal, Jessica, who is employed at a school for children with special needs, shared: "I usually use a hot water bottle to treat my stomach cramps so I placed it in between my stomach and waistband of my pyjamas. I had checked date on it and it was two years out of date."

Despite this, she didn't anticipate any danger: "I know it's so naive but I just didn't think anything would happen." Describing the traumatic moment, she said: "It started to trickle down my thighs from bottom of the water bottle and as I moved in shock, it then burst. I jumped up from bed who I was in with my partner Finley.

"He saw the hot water bottle had exploded and he got me straight into the bath and showered me down for 15 minutes in cold water. I passed out from the pain and the shock."

After the incident, her mother swiftly took her to hospital. Describing her ordeal, Jessica said: "They had to pop all the blisters which were on my stomach, both my inner thighs and groin."

During the agonising treatment process, Jessica detailed the intense pain relief required just to endure it. "I remember having a shower with one of the nurses and my mum as I couldn't stand and I had to have gas and air every time they changed the dressings as I was in agony.

"I used gas and air in the shower and one of the gauze was stuck in the wound and we had to try and peel it off."

Opting for skin graft surgery on October 19, Jessica underwent a two-hour operation where surgeons worked with skin from her outer thigh. Despite the severity of her injuries, she considered herself fortunate: "I was lucky as I could still feel my legs but the whole experience has been 'difficult'."

"When I woke up in recovery after the surgery I was so much more positive as the surgery had halved the pain. It was easier to sleep in bed, it was manageable to get up and take a few steps."

However, recovery came with its own set of challenges. Jessica said: "But I had to be catheterised for a week and a half as I couldn't sit on the toilet without getting the bandages wet or risk infection.

"I was pretty much bedbound for the whole time. I had physiotherapy every day to get me up and into the chair next to my bed. I was going a bit stir crazy from being in bed."

Since being discharged last week, Jessica has made significant progress and is now able to take short walks around her village. She expressed her gratitude towards the burns unit for their 'phenomenal' care.

In appreciation of the support she received, Jessica said: "Everyone has been so amazing and I'm so grateful as it was traumatising. It was the most painful thing I've ever had."

Highlighting a safety message, she added: "It is useful hot water bottles have the expiry on them. This one came from within the family and I never thought something like this would happen."

Jessica's aim is to give back to those who helped her recover: "I want to be able to say thank you and show appreciate for the amazing work they do."

She is currently raising funds for the Salisbury burn unit through a GoFundMe campaign:

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