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In late 2022, during Wisconsin’s bitter cold snap, 13-year-old Breontae Tyler worried about his cat, Molly, who had gone missing from his home. He put on his brand-new winter coat and went outside to search for her. He walked around outside for 15-20 minutes before giving up and coming back inside. “Right away, I noticed something was wrong,” said his mom, Lakeesha. Although Breontae wore a coat that day, like many teens, he didn’t bother to put on a hat and gloves.
Once back in the house, his hands were really swollen and bright red. Lakeesha was worried, so she called 9-1-1. When the paramedics arrived, they checked Breontae’s vital signs. They wrapped up his hands and instructed his family to keep an eye on them. The next day, when Breontae and Lakeesha pulled the bandages off to check his hands, Lakeesha knew right away that the situation was far more serious than they originally had thought.
The swelling had gotten worse, and one of his fingers had a blister the size of a golf ball on it that was very painful. Lakeesha called 9-1-1 again, and this time, Breontae was transported to Children’s Wisconsin, where he was seen in the Emergency Department and then transferred to the Children’s Wisconsin Burn Program for care.
“Frostbite has a cute name, and many people don’t take it seriously, but it can be a very serious injury that can damage your skin and parts of your body, such as fingers and toes,” said Barb Riordan, BSN, RN, nurse clinician, Children’s Wisconsin Burn Program. “We see kids every year who have frostbite injuries. In Breontae’s case, luckily, he and his mom did all of the right things — including recognizing that it was serious and seeking treatment right away.”
The Children’s Wisconsin Burn Program is part of our Level I Trauma Center care and specializes in the treatment of all types of burns in children using the latest innovative therapies. Burns can be very serious, which is why the team includes pain specialists, advanced practice care specialists, physical therapists and more to ease pain, reduce scarring and speed the healing process.
In the Burn Program, Barb gave Breontae some special ointment and carefully wrapped his hands. She sent him home with care instructions, bandages and tape. She called the family several times to check in on Breontae’s progress.
“Breontae’s wounds were really big and ugly,” said Lakeesha. “It was difficult because it was swollen and really painful. He did not want to go to school.”
Breontae returned for a follow-up appointment a week later to make sure his burns were healing well. All told, it took a full two weeks for his frostbitten hands to heal.
“My advice to other parents is to make sure your kids understand how serious frostbite can be and to insist they wear a coat, hat and gloves before going out in the cold,” said Lakeesha. “Things can get serious very quickly.”
In addition to limiting time outside during very cold weather, follow these tips:
If frostbite occurs, take proper care to prevent further damage to the skin and tissues.
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