The mother of a little girl who “went up like a Christmas tree” after her “Oodie” knockoff caught fire has urged parents to throw away highly flammable knockoffs bought in Temu.
Eight-year-old Daniella Jacobs-Herd suffered third-degree burns to her hands, arms, chest and face when embers from a campfire set the cheap Chinese replica alight on July 13.
Her terrified sister and father rushed her into the shower as chunks of her skin began to fall off while her mother, Hannah Jacobs, called triple zero.
Daniella, who suffered burns to 13 per cent of her body, was airlifted to Hervey Bay Hospital where she underwent 15 procedures in less than eight weeks.
“The journey has just begun because he is now starting to process his burns,” Jacobs told Daily Mail Australia.
‘(The nurses) are slowly reducing the bandages every time they change them, so she sees more and more of his burns.
“And that causes her trauma because she remembers that her skin fell off. She doesn’t believe she will be beautiful again.”
Ms Jacobs has urged parents to get rid of any cheap dressing gowns they have, warning: “It’s not worth the trauma – throw it in the bin.”
Eight-year-old Daniella Jacobs-Herd suffered third-degree burns to her hands, arms, chest and face when embers from a fire pit set her dress alight on July 13.
Daniella suffered burns to 13 per cent of her body following a fire at her home in Queensland.
Daniella (pictured with her mother Hannah) has undergone 15 procedures in eight weeks.
She says her daughter was given a knock-off lilac sleepwear for her birthday.
But the product was purchased from Temu, a popular Chinese online retailer, rather than the original Australian store Oodie, where all products meet strict Australian safety standards.
“I’ve talked to parents in the burn unit and there are many children who get burned every month by cheap brands,” she said.
‘They don’t say anything about them being highly flammable, they just say not to put them in the dryer.
‘She was standing near a campfire and there was a little bit of wind and the fire just caught on fire like nothing. It melted and turned into plastic on her skin.
‘We threw away every single one we had, we had all kinds of (hoodies) and we threw away every single one of them.’
Daniella’s surgical team told the mother of two that imitation gowns like the purple one she bought in Temu were known to cause burns.
“I was very hysterical the first few days and they told me that this happens often,” she said.
“It is very common for these types of (fake) brands to catch fire.”
To complicate matters, Daniella tests positive for methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), an infection caused by a type of staph bacteria.
“She has to be isolated in a room when she goes to the hospital, which is something that any 8-year-old girl doesn’t tolerate very well,” Jacobs said.
“She is autistic and has ADHD, so in the early days I was ripping out cannulas, catheters and feeding tubes.”
The eight-year-old girl is currently receiving treatment for her burns at Hervey Bay Hospital.
He was wearing a Temu ‘Oodie’ knockoff when the robe caught fire.
Daniella’s autism and ADHD have complicated her recovery
The mother of two said parts of Daniella’s recovery had been confronting.
“He’s had moments where he’s been tearing off chunks of skin,” she said.
“She sits there and grabs my hand so she doesn’t scratch me, but then she scratches me and gives you handfuls of flesh and blood. It’s been very, very overwhelming.
“They’ve given him painkillers so he doesn’t remember, but it’s very overwhelming to have pieces of meat in your hand at one in the morning.”
The family is staying at the Ronald McDonald House but are still paying rent and bills at their home in Hervey Bay, which they have not yet returned to.
The cost of medicine, food and new laundry detergents that don’t irritate her “baby skin” have left the family struggling to make ends meet.
Ms Jacobs is on the NDIS and requires a walker or wheelchair to get around, meaning getting Daniella to her outpatient appointments can be difficult.
The family has started a GoFundMe to relieve some financial pressures while Daniella awaits more skin grafts and, later, plastic surgery.
Ms Jacobs, her partner and their eldest daughter, Ebony, 12, have all been diagnosed with acute stress disorder and are receiving counselling following the incident.
Temu promised Daily Mail Australia that a full investigation would be launched into the incident and said they were awaiting news from the family so they could offer support.
“We are deeply saddened to learn of Daniella’s accident and extend our sincerest condolences to her and her family during this difficult time,” a spokesperson said.
‘We want to assure you that we take this matter very seriously. Although we have not yet received the details of the purchase order, we have already started an internal investigation.
‘Our teams are actively reviewing product listings and seller records related to the type of product involved in the incident.
“We are committed to conducting a thorough investigation and taking appropriate action.”
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