A mother claims her daughter’s innocent lunch left her face covered in life-changing burns.
Tyler Field was horrified when his seven-month-old daughter, Imelda Sykes, developed a red rash on her face and hands.
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The child had been eating a stick of celery in the sun on Sunday, May 19, for just 15 minutes when his skin immediately began to change color.
Worried that Imelda was suffering an allergic reaction or had been sunburned, Tyler told a close friend what happened when she discovered the risks of eating celery in the sun.
After carrying out research, the mother-of-two discovered that Imelda suffered from phytophotodermatitis – also known as ‘margarita burn’.
This is a skin reaction when the sap of certain plants, such as the giant nut – but also such as carrots, celery and lemons, comes into contact with the skin and is then exposed to sunlight.
There is a potential that she will be scarred for a long time because of this
Tyler Field
The affected areas become extremely red and often blistered.
Tyler, who lives in Reading, believed Imelda had escaped with just a red rash – before painful, fluid-filled blisters began to appear on her baby’s arm and mouth the next day.
The 25-year-old said she felt “massive mum guilt” and fears her daughter could be scarred for life from the vegetable-induced skin reaction.
‘I thought she had an allergic reaction’
Tyler, a stay-at-home mom, said: “I gave Imelda a stick of celery to chew on and I never questioned it in my mind.
“She was then sat in the sun with her hat on. Within three hours, I noticed that her cheeks and hands were red.
“At first I couldn’t understand. I thought she had an allergic reaction, but she had eaten celery before and hadn’t eaten anything new before.
“They looked like burns, I was very worried. I thought she was sunburned somehow.
“So I was meeting my friend for dinner that night and I told her what happened.
“She said ‘she didn’t eat celery, did she?’ My heart just dropped.
“Apart from her, none of my friends had heard of it before.
“I looked online and saw that it could cause all sorts of burns and blisters, but I thought we would get away with it.
“She just had a little redness around her mouth and hands.
“But then the next morning she had big, fluid-filled blisters around her hands and face.
“It’s clearly where she had the celery in her hand and around her mouth.
“I also had them in my arms, where she touched me. You can see the little fingerprints on my arm.
“The next day, the blisters turned into watery skin.
“Then it started to form scabs and she still has a lot of redness on her face and hands.”
‘I felt so guilty’
Tyler wants to alert other parents about phytophotodermatitis before other children become victims and also suffer burns.
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Tyler said: “I was crying into my boyfriend’s chest.
“I felt so guilty and I know it’s completely irrational, but as a mother you feel like you should know these things.
“It’s a summer food that everyone eats.
“It’s really worrying. I think it’s more prevalent in children because they eat mess and it gets all over their skin.
“But through all of this, I’m really surprised by how few people actually know about it.
“There is a potential that she could be scarred for a long time because of this.
“I just want to raise awareness and let them know that it’s celery burn. It’s just not common knowledge and needs to be better known.”
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What is a margarita burn? And how do you avoid this?
Margarita burn is a skin disease also known as phytophotodermatitis.
- Margarita burns occur when a chemical called furocoumarin reacts with sunlight.
- This chemical is found in limes and citrus fruits, celery, figs, fennel, and several other plants.
- Margarita burns usually begin as a rash that forms within 24 hours of exposure.
- People with a mild case of margarita burn may not even notice it, as the condition tends to go away on its own.
- Worse cases can develop into serious blisters that can land you in the hospital
- Treatment varies depending on severity
- Be sure to wash your hands thoroughly after handling citrus fruits, avoid touching others if you are preparing food, and cover yourself if you are drinking or eating outdoors during the summer months.
This story originally appeared on The-sun.com read the full story
