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Campfire accident leaves 9-year-old Florida boy extensive burns
A 9-year-old boy is recovering at UF Health Shands Hospital in Gainesville after a campfire accident left him with burns to nearly half of his body.
FRUITLAND PARK, Fla. - A 9-year-old boy is recovering at UF Health Shands Hospital in Gainesville after a campfire accident left him with burns to nearly half of his body.
What we know:
A 9-year-old boy, Kaleb Newman, is recovering at UF Health Shands Hospital in Gainesville after suffering burns to 40% of his body. The accident happened on Jan. 30 at his home in Fruitland Park.
Kaleb had been roasting marshmallows with his siblings earlier in the evening, and later, he apparently tried to restart the fire on his own. A melted bottle of rubbing alcohol was found near the scene.
His mother immediately took action, rolling him on the ground to extinguish the fire.
Kaleb has already undergone one surgery and is awaiting more procedures. His family remains by his side, facing mounting medical expenses.
What we don't know:
The exact circumstances of the fire remain unclear.
Kaleb’s mother, Fulvia Modenesi Newman, said she doesn’t know precisely what led to her son being engulfed in flames, aside from the presence of the melted alcohol bottle.
Additionally, doctors have not determined how long Kaleb will need to remain hospitalized or whether he will fully regain feeling in his burned extremities.
What they're saying:
According to his family, Kaleb Newman had been roasting marshmallows to make s’mores with his siblings at their Fruitland Park home. Hours after the family had gone inside to make dinner, Fulvia Modenesi Newman heard her eldest son screaming.
"I run out and Kaleb is right behind him, completely engulfed in fire. It was the most horrific thing," said Modenesi Newman. "The first thing that came to me was just get him on the floor and start patting him down and rolling him on the floor; just trying to get that flame out."
She still doesn’t know exactly what happened – just that a melted bottle of rubbing alcohol was found next to her son.
"From what we can gather, he had snuck out trying to make the campfire again to get a little more s’mores," she said.
Kaleb has already undergone one operation and his next will be to begin the skin grafting process.
"It's just painful to watch him in pain," Modenesi Newman said. "He's constantly itchy because of the new skin, and the medications are making him groggy and he can't remember anything."
Modenesi Newman hasn’t left Kaleb’s side since the accident.
"It's devastating just the amount of bills that we're getting and the air flights — he had two air flights," said Modenesi Newman. "We're looking at possibly the 100,000s, right now."
Modenesi Newman doesn’t know how long Kaleb will be in the hospital, but each day the family is focusing on the wins. The most recent: being cleared to eat solid food.
"Can I have chicken nuggets?," Kaleb could be heard asking from his hospital bed.
What you can do:
The family, who does not have health insurance, is now struggling with the financial burden of his medical care. With no insurance, Modenesi Newman said they are paying out of pocket. A family member created GoFundMe account to help with costs where you can help.
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The Source: This story was written based on information shared by the Newman family and UF Health Shands Hospital.