12-Year-Old Georgia Boy Suffers Severe Burns After 3 Friends Pour Boiling Water on Him During Sleepover ‘Prank’

In Tifton, Georgia, a 12-year-old boy fell asleep at his friend’s house and was maliciously tricked, suffering second-degree burns over much of his face. Three of his friends between the ages of 12 and 15 were playing video games when one of them, finding it humorous, poured boiling hot water over his sleeping friend.

The injured boy was treated in an Augusta burn center before being released to recover at home after surgery, WALB reported. His mother, Tiffany West, said she was shocked and angry with her son’s friends for their dangerous and careless act.

I mean, I really can’t describe it now. In that moment I was just mad, hurt, in shock.” West recalled. “Everything, I was seeing red. I was just trying to hurry up and get him some help.”

The three culprits were taken home to be with their families until they would appear in court the following month after their release.

Emotional Toll for the Victim

The boy’s aunt, Nachelle Austile, said he was in shock and expressed no emotion when he finally arrived home.

“You got to be in shock to know your friends are capable of doing this to you.” Austile said. “Like somebody you trusted, it’s just horrible. He never thought something like this would happen to him,”

It often takes two to three weeks to heal for second-degree burns and most of the time leave scars permanently.

The family has a lot of obstacles to overcome.

It seems that the incidence has badly derailed their family’s monetary security. It is because neither West nor her brother could have been able to work because of the situation and thus medical charges are mounting daily, and that of the healing process of this boy is constant. Healing might take 12 to 14 days. As per Medical News Today, in most cases second-degree burns start healing within a span of two to three weeks of time and mostly leave a mark on the face of the affected person.

“My brother and Tiffany have not been able to work since this happened,” Austile said. “She is going to be out of work taking care of him as he heals. She needs to be here for him.”

Austile said her nephew would need counseling to recover from the trauma and regain his trust in people.

A glimmer of hope is provided by community support.

West thanked the community for the much support they offered.

West said that her son was a “warrior and strong,” and that every single gift, every single donation and every single nice message was super important.

“I woke up to SO much LOVE being shown to my son! Words can’t describe how Thankful I am for each & every one of you! It brings tears to my eyes to know that SO many people care for me & my son & we are not alone in this,” Tiffany West gushed in a Facebook post.