Mother of schoolgirl, 10, who suffered horrific burns when struck by fireworks on Bonfire Night aged 4, recalls terrifying moment she saw her daughter ‘catch fire’

The mother of a schoolgirl who suffered horrific burns after being hit by fireworks on a bonfire night has recalled the moment she turned around and saw her daughter had been ‘set on fire’.

Ten-year-old Rosie Mason, from Cwmbran, Wales, had to have a skin graft after fireworks were shot off from a corner during 2017’s Bonfire Night – but said she now sees her marks as ‘armor’.

Speaking on This Morning today, she sat down with her parents to share important safety tips for the upcoming festivities.

“We were at a friend’s house because our eldest son is autistic and she also has autistic children,” her mother Eleanor said as she recalled the incident.

“We followed all the safety precautions… everyone ate hot dogs and started enjoying the evening.

“And then we had a multi-shot fireworks box that shoots up… I think it came from a supermarket. It was lit, all the children returned safely from the display.’

However, one of them ‘didn’t quite shoot straight away’ and ended up going back, hitting Rosie in the neck and setting her coat on fire.

Eleanor – who, together with her daughter, is now an ambassador for the Children’s Burn Trust – emphasized that all safety measures have been taken into account; the fireworks were set off at the back of the garden, there was a bucket of sand and a bucket of water at hand and all the children stood back.

Both parents admitted that the horrific incident felt like ‘slow motion’.

“I think our main focus at the time was all the kids, getting them all in,” dad James revealed.

‘We got all the children in as quickly as possible and then assessed each child to make sure everything was OK – and in that sense it obviously wasn’t.’

Eleanor said it felt like an “out of body experience” to realize her daughter was injured.

“I only remember her coat and her scarf,” she added. “She had an Elsa hat on and it all caught fire.”

While in hospital, Rosie (pictured in 2017) had to undergo a tumultuous five to six week procedure before she could go home just before Christmas.

First, she had to undergo surgery for skin debriding – a chemical cleaning of the area. Rosie pictured with her injuries in 2017

However, Rosie said she doesn’t remember “much” because she was so young.

“I remember we were all just standing around the house,” she said. “I guess I was just in shock, forgetting it all.”

James said emergency services advised them to put Rosie in a lukewarm bath, where he continued to douse her with water until the parade arrived.

While in hospital, Rosie had to undergo a tumultuous five to six week procedure before she could go home just before Christmas.

First, she had to undergo surgery for skin debriding – a chemical cleaning of the area.

The young girl then had to wait patiently for her wounds to heal and then carefully clean them by means of stinging baths.

She also had to have her head shaved to receive the skin graft.

Speaking on This Morning today, she sat down with her parents to share important safety tips for the upcoming festivities

Now Rosie calls her scars “armor.”

“We just watched some programs and listened to other children who are now adult ambassadors for the Children’s Burn Trust,” Eleanor explained.

“And they’ve always said it’s part of their story, part of their life, that it’s their armor.”

The ten-year-old has also gone to schools to give talks and help spread the message about fire safety.

She and her family have also worked to raise money for the Children’s Burn Trust.

Rosie shared her top safety tips with This Morning viewers, while host Rylan Clark dubbed her the new ‘Alice Beer’.

“The first would be to go to an organized exhibition,” she advised. “If you do decide to stay home, stay indoors and have a responsible, trusted adult send you out.

‘Also keep a bucket of sand and water at hand, and remember the three C’s: cool, shout and cover with cling film.’