ONLY ON WLWT. A RESILIENT EIGHT YEAR OLD FROM LAWRENCEBURG, INDIANA, GEARING UP FOR HER FINAL SURGERY AFTER A LONG ROAD. HARLEY FAULKNER WAS ONLY TWO YEARS OLD WHEN SHE SUFFERED THIRD DEGREE BURNS IN A KITCHEN ACCIDENT AND WLWT. NEWS FIVE’S LINDSEY STONE JOINS US HERE IN THE STUDIO WITH MORE ON HARLEY’S LONG JOURNEY BACK. HI, LINDSEY. HI, MIKE. SO HARLEY WAS A CHEERLEADER LAST YEAR, BUT SHE SAYS SHE’S DONE WITH THAT. AND NOW SHE’S HOPING TO PLAY FOOTBALL AND WRESTLE. NOW SHE IS ONE TOUGH COOKIE, AND SHE HAS THE SCARS TO PROVE IT. ALL I HEARD IN THE BACKGROUND WAS SCREAMING. IT’S BEEN SIX YEARS SINCE THEN. TWO YEAR OLD HARLEY FAULKNER’S LIFE CHANGED FOREVER. HER DAD WAS COOKING ON THE STOVE AND THE PAN CAUGHT FIRE. HE TRIED TO GET OUT OF THE HOUSE WITH IT, BUT WHEN HE WENT AROUND THE CORNER, IT SPLASHED AND GOT A LITTLE BIT ON HER HEAD, NECK AND SHOULDER. HARLEY WAS FLOWN TO THE NEAREST HOSPITAL AND THEN SHRINERS IN CINCINNATI. I REMEMBER WHEN I GOT BURNT OUT, MOTHER. ALL OF IT. BUT HER MOM, MEGAN, REMEMBERS IT ALL MONTHS IN THE HOSPITAL AND COUNTLESS PROCEDURES, INCLUDING A SKIN GRAFT. THEY WERE SECOND AND THIRD DEGREE BURNS. IT WAS SO BAD ON HER HEAD. THEY SAID IT WAS. HER HEAD WAS ON FIRE FOR AT LEAST FIVE SECONDS. HARLEY PROUDLY SHOWING OFF HER SCARS. I HAVE ONE OVER HERE AND I HAVE IT ALL OVER. TURN YOUR HEAD. I HAVE SOME RIGHT HERE ON MY HEAD. AND THEN I HAVE SOME ON MY NECK AND BACK. BUT THIS FRIDAY, HARLEY WILL UNDERGO A REVOLUTIONARY SURGERY TO HELP WITH HAIR GROWTH. WHAT THEY’LL DO IS THEY’RE GOING TO PUT TWO, INSERT TWO BALLOONS IN HER HEAD WHERE SHE’S NOT BURNED. THEY WILL HAVE A PORT AND I’LL INJECT SALINE SO IT WILL EXPAND THE BALLOON. HARLEY SAYS SHE’S READY. I’M NOT NERVOUS. I THINK IT’S FUN. AFTER MY SURGERY AND AFTER ALL OF THE STUFF HEALS. YEAH, WE WON’T SEE IT. SHE PROBABLY IS HONESTLY LUCKY TO BE ALIVE, TO EVEN MAKE IT THROUGH IT. HARLEY IS ONE TOUGH COOKIE AND HAS THIS ADVICE FOR ANYONE ELSE GOING THROUGH SOMETHING HARD. BE SAD FOR THEM AND I WISH THEY’D BE HAPPY. HOW SWEET IS SHE? AND OF COURSE, HER JOURNEY IS FAR FROM OVER. HER MOM WILL ACTUALLY BE TAKING OFF WORK FOR ABOUT FOUR MONTHS TO TAKE CARE OF HER AFTER FRIDAY’S SURGERY. SO IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO HELP HER FAMILY, WE HAV
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Indiana girl set for final surgery 5 years after suffering burns in kitchen accident
Lindsay Stone
Anchor/Reporter
A resilient 8-year-old from Lawrenceburg is gearing up for her final surgery after a long road. Harlee Faulkner was just 2 years old when she suffered third-degree burns in a kitchen accident.“Her dad was cooking on the stove, and the pan caught fire,” said Harlee’s mom, Megan. “He tried to get out of the house with it, but when he went around the corner, it splashed and got a little bit on her head, neck and shoulder.”Harlee was flown to the nearest hospital and then to Shriners in Cincinnati.“I remember when I got burned, but I don't remember about all of it,” Harlee said.But her mom remembers it all: months in the hospital and countless procedures, including a skin graft.“They were second- and third-degree burns,” Megan said. “It was so bad on her head they said it was on her head was on fire for at least five seconds.”But this Friday, Harlee will undergo a revolutionary surgery to help with hair growth.“So what they'll do is they're going to put 2-inch or two balloons in her head,” Megan said. “Where she's not burned, there will be a port, and I'll inject saline, which will allow it to expand.”Harlee says she's ready. “I'm not nervous,” Harlee said.“She probably is honestly lucky to be alive, to even make it through it,” Megan said.Harlee's journey is far from over. Her mom will be off work for four months while taking care of her after Friday's surgery. If you’d like to support her, click here.
LAWRENCEBURG, Ind. —
A resilient 8-year-old from Lawrenceburg is gearing up for her final surgery after a long road. Harlee Faulkner was just 2 years old when she suffered third-degree burns in a kitchen accident.
“Her dad was cooking on the stove, and the pan caught fire,” said Harlee’s mom, Megan. “He tried to get out of the house with it, but when he went around the corner, it splashed and got a little bit on her head, neck and shoulder.”
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Harlee was flown to the nearest hospital and then to Shriners in Cincinnati.
“I remember when I got burned, but I don't remember about all of it,” Harlee said.
But her mom remembers it all: months in the hospital and countless procedures, including a skin graft.
“They were second- and third-degree burns,” Megan said. “It was so bad on her head they said it was on her head was on fire for at least five seconds.”
But this Friday, Harlee will undergo a revolutionary surgery to help with hair growth.
“So what they'll do is they're going to put 2-inch or two balloons in her head,” Megan said. “Where she's not burned, there will be a port, and I'll inject saline, which will allow it to expand.”
Harlee says she's ready. “I'm not nervous,” Harlee said.
“She probably is honestly lucky to be alive, to even make it through it,” Megan said.
Harlee's journey is far from over. Her mom will be off work for four months while taking care of her after Friday's surgery. If you’d like to support her, click here.
