A baby boy who was set on fire in a freak accident involving a candle has spent 45 days in the hospital, including a month in an induced coma, recovering from severe burns on his neck, chest, and arms. But the bubbly boy has been wanting to return to normal from the get-go, giving his parents an extra boost of hope for the future.
Mom of four Rochenda Golightly from Cobb County, Georgia, was attending a birthday party with her oldest son, 11-year-old Joshua, on Nov. 12, 2022, when her then-17-month-old son, Amahd, fondly known as “Bubby,” had an accident. Bubby clambered onto a kitchen chair, near a candle. He had a topical ointment on his skin for coughs and colds and when he approached the flame, he caught on fire.
“His dad went to the bathroom for a split second, and by the time he finished his restroom break, Bubby was already on fire,” Rochenda told The Epoch Times. “His dad ended up putting out the fire and rushing him to our local emergency room.”
Rochenda, who is also mom to Alia, Joshua, and Joseph, got a call from Paulding County Hospital emergency room from her teenage daughter.
“That was alarming first off, because she never calls, she always texts,” Rochenda said. “She told me that Bubby caught fire. I didn’t think to the extent of third- and second-degree burns.”
Bubby had sustained third-degree burns on his neck and left arm, and second-degree burns on his chest and right arm, covering 40 percent of his body in total. The medical staff wrapped the little boy up in a wet cloth and airlifted him to a specialized burns unit in Augusta, Georgia.
When Rochenda saw her toddler son, he was screaming at the top of his lungs in pain.
“From [the chin] down, he was completely raw,” Rochenda said. “His arms were completely raw, and not only were they raw, they were trying to get an IV in his arm on top of the burn. He was in shock and he was just screaming.”
Doctors worked on maintaining blood flow in Bubby’s arms to avoid amputation. Luckily, the baby did not sustain damage to his internal organs but his throat was swollen. He was placed in an induced coma and intubated to help him breathe.
During this time, Rochenda found comfort in prayer and discovered a prayer partner in her family’s trusted babysitter, who came out to Augusta to sit by their sides. But she was surprised to see that Bubby seemed to generate his own positivity.
Even when Bubby was in a medically induced coma he was ready to play.
“They kept having to give him drugs to keep him down because he kept moving his hands and his feet and his arms,” Rochenda told The Epoch Times. “They wanted to keep him in the coma so that everything could heal properly but it was hard. They put heavy boots on him so he couldn’t move and he still would move!”
“When he woke up, he wasn’t a sick, hurt, injured baby. He was vibrant,” she added.
According to Rochenda, Bubby really loves his brother Joseph who he calls Joe Joe.
“So when he first woke up, one of the first things he said was ‘Joe Joe,’ even though he was in immense pain. He’s a resilient, strong, brave little boy,” Rochenda said.
As Bubby’s situation improved, he went in for his first skin graft surgery, with medics borrowing skin from his back, thighs, and scalp and shaving off much of his thick hair in the process. Now 21 months old, Bubby has been having corrective surgeries that will allow him to be fully mobile.
Additionally, his arm which was previously bound in place has been released.
He will have physical and occupational therapy and approximately 36 surgeries in total, as part of a treatment plan which will see him through to high school. Rochenda’s other two children, who experienced depression after Bubby’s accident, are in counseling to help them recover from the shock of the ordeal.
“Even though the situation is tough and it was hard to endure. ... I had a feeling in my heart that everything was going to be just fine,” Rochenda said. “I still have my moments because it’s really hard. I’m caring for a child with burns. I still pray and that keeps us strong.”
At the time of writing, Bubby’s at home and has been running, playing, and laughing.
“He loves to dance, any kind of beat. ... Of course, he has his bad days because he‘ll be itching; the healing makes him have an extreme urge to itch so he’ll be a little fussy,” Rochenda said, “I feel good that I stayed positive and I didn’t break down, didn’t lose the things that I fight for every day ... we just kept looking forward and not backwards.”
Rochenda sometimes worries about the opinions of others when out in public with Bubby and the effect their reactions might have on his self-confidence.
Since the accident, she has had people on social media comment on her neglect as a mother for the cause of the accident. However, she doesn’t let that bother her and knows in her heart that she’s a fantastic mother.
Meanwhile, she has also been encouraged by messages on social media from other child burn victims who have reached adulthood without significant problems.
She knows Bubby will “still conquer” and will grow to accept his scars.
Sharing her story, Rochenda has a message for others. She said: “If you’re a parent ... there’s no book, we don’t have any kind of instruction manual. You just have to have that positive energy and accidents do happen. I don’t wish this accident upon anyone but don’t beat yourself up. Just be there for your child.”
