Woman passes out using blow dryer, hand amputated from third-degree burns
A South Carolina woman lost her hand after a hair dryer burned it when she passed out.
"The last thing I have recollection of is walking into the bathroom with my blow dryer and getting ready to blow dry my hair," said Mary Wilson.
Wilson was drying her hair in the bathroom before bed last month. Her life was changed forever when she suddenly passed out.
The worst injury came from the dryer itself, which was scorching her skin as she lay on top of it.
"It's blowing that hot air," Wilson said. "The burns on my hand were third-degree burns, they were all the way to the bone."
Wilson's partner found her after 20 minutes.
Wilson was rushed to the hospital where, due to the nerve damage, her hand and wrist were amputated.
"It really kind of puts in perspective all the other issues that I was dealing with in my life six months ago are so insignificant to things that I'm having to go through now, or challenges that I'm going to have to be going through in the future," Wilson said.
Wilson said blow dryers ought to have an automatic shut-off like other hot tools.
"You see it with hair straighteners and flat irons," Wilson said. "They do have that ceramic plate that, once it gets to a certain temperature, it turns off. If it did, then maybe my injuries wouldn't have been so bad."
Wilson worked as a dog groomer before her accident.
"Every day I absolutely miss it. I miss the dogs, I miss the clients," Wilson said.
Wilson is not sure if she'll be able to ever go back to work, but she's choosing to stay positive.
"I'm still going to live my life to the fullest," Wilson said. "It's just a hand. What is this, 10% of my body? Losing my hand may be something that changes who I am, but that doesn't mean that it defines me on everything."
Wilson believes a shock from the hair dryer is what caused her to pass out. She's looking forward to getting a prosthetic hand.
Wilson also said she's received lots of financial and emotional support from her community.
