On a family vacation, a father and his four-year-old daughter, from northern Israel, toured a well-known juice factory not far from their home. “My daughter stepped in a puddle and started to cry,” said the father. “I thought it was because her sock was wet, but the crying got louder. When I took off her sandals and socks, I was horrified to see that the toes on her left foot were black. We immediately went to the emergency room at a nearby hospital, where we were advised that her injury should be treated at Hadassah Medical Center in Jerusalem. We drove there right away.”

Hadassah Medical Center emergency room staff recognized that the little girl was suffering from a severe chemical burn, caused by leaked chemicals from the fruit processing. They consulted Plastic Surgery Department Head Alex Margolis and senior surgeon Max Sirota. “The leg was not in good shape,” said Dr. Sirota. “Chemical burns of such severity are not common at all, and during the operation we tried to ensure that the damage to the leg would not be worsened by the onset of infection. We wanted to be sure that the little girl would have normal use of her leg after it healed. A few days after the operation, we examined the leg meticulously. The child’s recovery is completely satisfactory.”

“After many days of worry, the important thing is that our child is fine. We hope that the healing will continue and that she will return to running around with her friends,” said the father. “The medical treatment and care we received at Hadassah was excellent, and it is clear that the team did their absolute best for our daughter.”