Brave Rothwell boy who suffered nasty Halloween burn raises money to help children who go through same experience

Henry Capps, seven, was rushed to hospital in 2022 after crashing into his mum while she was holding a pan of boiling water which spilt onto his back.

He was treated at Birmingham Children’s Hospital’s specialist burns centre and now he’s raised more than £400 to help them, buying toys and games, by taking on a sponsored read.

His mum Tansley said: “I was absolutely heartbroken to see Henry in so much pain and distress but being given toys to play with and keep when we got to Birmingham Children’s Hospital made such a difference, and that’s why Henry wanted to buy toys to do the same for other children.

“With special permission Henry was able to deliver the toys and games to the burns centre and even gave one toy to a little girl who was waiting for an appointment.

"Henry was beaming when he saw how happy the gift had made her so, as well as helping him draw a line under his own experience, he’s over the moon to know he’s helped other children in the same position.”

Henry and his little brother, Bailey, had been out trick-or-treating on Halloween night and, when they got home to count their sweets, their mum set about making their favourite Halloween tea, hot dogs.

Unable to open one of his sweets, Henry ran into the kitchen and crashed into his mum just as she was turning to drain the pan, causing the boiling water to spill onto his back.

Tansley thought fast, stripping Henry’s clothes and wrapping the burn in clingfilm, before rushing him to their local hospital. Henry was crying out in pain until the painkillers started to kick in and he asked if he could eat the sweets he realised he was still holding in his hand.

Soon an ambulance arrived and Henry and Tansley made the 40-minute journey to Birmingham Children’s Hospital, where Henry could receive specialist treatment for his burn. The team assessed Henry’s back but before an unpleasant procedure to remove a layer of damaged skin, they introduced Henry to Wayne, one of the burns centre’s play specialists. Wayne chatted to Henry, made him laugh and brought him a game to play and keep.

Thankfully, Henry only needed to stay in hospital for one night and after many return trips to have his dressings changed, his back began to heal. However, as time passed and Halloween came around again, Henry got upset, confiding in Tansley that he was scared something bad would happen again.

Tansley reassured Henry by helping him focus on good memories and that’s when Henry remembered how the toys Wayne gave him helped to make him happy when he was scared and in pain.

Henry wanted to help other children going through similar experiences and with the help of his mum, he decided upon his fundraising challenge.

He asked family and friends to sponsor him to read a book every single day for a month, reading classics including The Tiger Who Came to Tea, The Snail and The Whale and some Dr Seuss favourites and even kept up whilst on a family holiday.

Miranda Williams, head of public fundraising at Birmingham Children’s Hospital, said: “Play is very important business in our hospital as we know that children who are happy and relaxed cope better with their treatment and recover a lot quicker than those who are more anxious.

"That’s why we’re so grateful to Henry for his wonderful donation, which will help our brilliant burns centre play specialists continue supporting patients just like him.”