Horrifying Shabbat Accident: 4-Year-Old Falls Into Boiling Soup at Synagogue
Young boy suffers severe burns covering nearly half his body after falling backward into pot on hotplate • Sedated and ventilated in ICU, condition stable | Mother shares powerful message (Haredim)
A devastating accident occurred this past Shabbat at a Jerusalem synagogue when a 4.5-year-old boy fell backward into a pot of boiling soup that had been placed on a hotplate for congregants. The child now lies sedated and ventilated in Hadassah Ein Kerem Hospital's intensive care unit, fighting for recovery after sustaining severe burns across nearly half his body.
The incident unfolded during Friday night prayers as soup was being distributed to worshippers. According to the child's mother, in a split second, her son lost his balance and tumbled directly into the scalding pot. Emergency medical teams from Hadassah's pediatric emergency department and plastic surgery unit immediately mobilized to treat the young victim upon his arrival at the trauma center.
Dr. Setav Sarna Cohen, a senior plastic surgery specialist and director of Hadassah's burn unit, described the severity of the child's injuries in stark medical terms. "On Friday evening, a 4.5-year-old boy was rushed urgently to the trauma unit after sustaining severe and deep burns when he fell into a pot of boiling soup," Dr. Cohen stated.
The medical team's assessment revealed the horrifying extent of the damage. "He was brought directly to the trauma room where he immediately underwent evaluation and examination by all relevant teams from the pediatric emergency medicine department and the burn unit staff of the plastic surgery department," the physician noted.
Extensive Burns Require Emergency Surgery
Dr. Cohen emphasized the extensive nature of the burns covering the child's small body. "The severe burns were assessed at approximately 42 percent of his body surface area, classified as second and third-degree burns. Given the extensive nature of the injury, the child was rushed urgently to the operating room where he was sedated, intubated, and underwent debridement of the burns and dressing," she clarified.
Following the emergency surgical intervention, the young patient was transferred to the intensive care unit where he remains under continuous monitoring. Hospital officials confirmed that despite the critical nature of his injuries, the child's condition has stabilized, though he continues to require sedation and mechanical ventilation as his body begins the long healing process.
The accident bears tragic similarities to other recent burn incidents involving children in Jerusalem.
As the child continues his fight for recovery in Hadassah's burn unit, the community has been asked to daven for his complete refuah. The mother, while maintaining privacy regarding her son's identity, conveyed a message of faith and gratitude for the medical team's swift response and ongoing care.