Toddler's injuries after being burned by boiling water at restaurant
WARNING – GRAPHIC CONTENT: A baby boy has been left badly burned and traumatised after he was scalded by a cup of hot water at a restaurant.
Cadien Scott Gaffney, a 17-month-old, was at an Applebee’s restaurant in Queens, New York on Friday when he grabbed a cup of hot water placed on the table by a waiter.
Courtnei Patterson, a family friend, told the New York Daily News, the hot water was knocked over and “fell all over his chest, his legs, everything”.
No one called 911 to get the baby an ambulance until a full 20 minutes had elapsed, according to the family’s lawyer.
Instead, staff members scrambled to get paper towels and ointment, Ms Patterson said.
“Everybody was just standing there, looking around trying to figure out what to do next,” she said.
Finally, outraged patrons piped up, and the authorities were called, the lawyer said.
But the child’s family had already carried him out of the restaurant before paramedics could get there.
In a photo posted on Twitter, Cadien’s entire abdomen is seen stripped of its top layer of skin.
The boy’s family claims that he’ll sometimes forget about the injury and try to play like a normal child, but the pain eventually has him “screaming bloody murder” again.
“It hurts me so bad just to see that baby in that condition,” Ms Patterson said, adding that it’s going to be a “long journey” toward healing.
No one from Applebee’s has attempted to contact the family to check in on Cadien, Ms Patterson told the Daily News.
Brian Lowe, a spokesman for Doherty Enterprises, an Applebee’s franchisee, issued a statement to Yahoo Lifestyle on Thursday saying the company is “truly saddened”.
“Our thoughts are with the child and family,” Mr Lowe said.
“After a thorough investigation and review of security footage and call logs, we are confident that our team members acted with urgency, calling for medical assistance while helping the family. We were unable to obtain the family’s contact information onsite but would like to assist in any way that we can as we continue to cooperate with authorities. As always, the safety of our guests is top priority.”
The boy’s family has hired lawyer Sanford Rubenstein and is looking into a lawsuit.
“The child has suffered horrible burns,” Mr Rubenstein said.
“Appropriate action will be instituted against Applebee’s for the actions of their employees.”
