Charlotte Rose-Ann Hill, Sydney, Australia mom catches on fire during backyard bbq trying to roast marshmallows for her kids only to die in hospital days later.
A Sydney, Australia woman has died after suffering severe burns during a backyard incident while attempting to roast marshmallows for her children.
Charlotte Rose-Ann Hill, 38, had been setting up a backyard BBQ at her Sydney home to roast marshmallows when the parent suddenly found herself catching on fire. The ‘accident’ played out in front of her 11-year-old son and 7-year-old daughter.
‘Thankfully her children were not harmed because they were in the backyard at the time. They were so brave and so heroic in those moments,’ Bianca Hill, cousin to Charlotte, told news.com.au.
Sydney mom catches alight trying to set up outdoor bbq
Charlotte horrified children watched on, desperately trying to help save their mother’s life.
‘I’m actually extremely proud of the way that they handled the situation despite how traumatic it would have been for them,’ Bianca told news.com.au.
‘Her youngest daughter screamed. She screamed the loudest she has ever screamed in her life to alert their dad, who was getting ready to go to work.’
To date authorities had yet to say how the mom came to catch alight while setting up the bbq, whether the bbq was propane based, whether lighter fuel was involved, charcoal and to what degree human error was involved.
The children’s father was able to provide first aid and take Charlotte to hospital.
Charlotte suffered serious burns to her face and her hands. Charlotte was able to pull through her initial surgery with hopes she would survive the tragedy.
The family had been full of hope that her condition had been improving.
She’d been alert, recovering well and speaking with her children over the phone.
But it was not to be.
Fundraiser started to support mom’s surviving children
Charlotte was found by medical staff unresponsive, succumbing to medical complications.
‘We’ll never hear her laugh again,’ Bianca told the outlet. ‘We’re just so deeply heartbroken for her children.’
Her family has been left reflecting on the beautiful life Charlotte led and the loving role she had as a mother.
The loss is particularly devastating because Charlotte witnessed her own mother’s death as a child.
‘She just never ever wanted her children to have to go through the same traumatic pain that loss brought her,’ Bianca explained.
Bianca has since started a GoFundMe for the ongoing support of the children.
‘It’s just so that they can continue healing, going about their educational goals and just getting through this in the best possible way with as much help as they can receive,’ she explained.
‘It means so much that there’s a part of Charlotte that’s here in her children. We can continue on that legacy for her by bringing them as much happiness and as much stability that we can from our position.’
