A mother who ran through fire to save her baby as their home went up in flames has opened up about the “excruciating” pain she felt as she recovered from several third-degree burns as a result of her heroic actions.
Erika Sparks, 40, and daughter Lena, now two, from Virginia, suffered second- and third-degree burns to both their face and body after their home exploded two years ago.
When the mother of four's home caught fire on Christmas Day and her then 11-month-old child was trapped among the flames, Erika, without even hesitating, sprinted into the flames and grabbed her baby, tucking her under her shirt to to protect. her out of the fire.
The mother and daughter have since recovered and Erika is ready to talk about the 'traumatizing' event – hoping to warn others about the dangers of house fires and show other burn victims that there is light at the end of the tunnel .
Erika Sparks, 40, and daughter Lena, now two, from Virginia, suffered second- and third-degree burns to both their face and body after their home exploded two years ago (seen before the fire)
She has told of the 'excruciating' pain she felt as she recovered from several third-degree burns as a result of her heroic actions (seen after the fire)
When the mother of four's home caught fire on Christmas Day and her then 11-month-old child was trapped among the flames, Erika sprinted inside (the damage is visible)
She said: 'To this day we still don't know what caused the fire. We are all so traumatized, but I am so grateful that we escaped the fire alive.
“It's a miracle that Lena and I survived.”
On Christmas Day 2021, Erika enjoyed the festivities with husband Robert, 37; grandfather Franco, 81; and children Mariah, 19; Isabella, 14; Robert Jr., 10; and baby Lena, then 11 months.
The mother of four noted that she remembered the day vividly because it was Lena's first Christmas.
And although the day started 'perfectly', it quickly took a terrible turn.
'It was Lena's first Christmas, so it was extra special. We got up early to open presents and the kids played with them all morning. It was perfect,” she said before detailing the catastrophe that occurred.
Around 2 p.m., Erika put Lena down for a nap in her crib, which was located on the bottom floor of their three-story New York townhouse.
The mother and daughter have now both recovered and Erika is ready to talk about the 'traumatizing' event (Erika and her family shown before the fire)
The mother of four noted that she remembers the day vividly because it was Lena's first Christmas (damage from the fire is visible)
Around 2 p.m., Erika put Lena down for a nap in her crib, which was on the bottom floor of their three-story New York townhouse (Lena pictured after the fire)
After putting her to sleep, Erika returned to the second floor, where she began preparing Christmas dinner with her husband.
But half an hour later the fire alarm started going off.
The fire system they installed in their home told them exactly where the flames were.
After hearing “fire below, fire below,” she knew she had to save Lena.
'When I opened the door, black smoke came towards me. I held my breath and sprinted down the stairs. “When I reached the bottom, I saw six-foot flames outside Lena's bedroom door,” she recalled of the terrifying moment.
'The heat was unbearable. But I had to save my baby. I ran through the flames and lifted Lena from her crib. She looked terrified.
“I covered her under my T-shirt and ran back out through the fire.
After hearing “fire downstairs, fire downstairs” she knew she had to save Lena (seen with her father after the fire)
After escaping the fire with Lena, Erika's grandfather rushed them to Westchester Medical Center in New York (Erika and her family seen after the fire)
Lena was monitored for a week before being released from the hospital, while Erika continued to receive treatment (damage from the fire was seen)
After escaping the fire with Lena, Erika's grandfather rushed them to Westchester Medical Center in New York.
As soon as they arrived, Erika was put into a coma and put on a ventilator.
She had second and third degree burns to her face, hair, arms, abdomen and back.
Meanwhile, Lena was treated for second- and third-degree burns to her face, nose, cheeks, hands and feet.
Erika recalled how shocked she was when she saw herself for the first time after receiving treatment.
'I woke up Four days later and couldn't believe how I looked. “I was wrapped in bandages and looked like a mummy,” she explained.
“But all I cared about was Lena. Robert had left a note by my bed saying he was with Lena and that she was doing well. I was so relieved.'
Fortunately, Lena and Erika did not require surgery.
Lena was monitored for a week before being discharged from the hospital, while Erika continued treatment.
While there, doctors performed regular bandage changes and regularly scrubbed her wounds.
Fortunately, Lena and Erika did not require surgery (Erika and her family seen after the fire)
While there, the doctors performed regular dressing changes and regularly scrubbed her wounds (Erika seen after the fire)
Although the pain was excruciating, the mother of four tried to focus on surviving the fire.
She said: 'The pain was unbearable. But I tried to focus on how lucky we had been to escape the fire. When I saw Lena for the first time since I was admitted to the hospital, I broke down.
“Seeing the burns on her face and her body wrapped in bandages was heartbreaking.”
After more than two weeks in intensive care, Erika was discharged and reunited with her family.
However, the damage from the fire left them homeless, so the family lived in a hotel room for three weeks before moving to a rented property.
And the devastation of the fire still haunts the mother of four, who revealed firefighters never found a cause of the blaze.
She added: “All my children were born in that house. It was incredibly difficult to let it go.
“Firefighters were unable to determine the cause of the fire, which was so disturbing that we wanted answers.”
Now, two years after the traumatic day, Erika still suffers from the effects of her burns and has reduced freedom of movement in her hands.
Although the pain was unbearable, the mother of four tried to focus on surviving the fire (as seen by her family)
Erika and her family have since moved to Virginia in hopes of focusing on making new and happy memories (Lena shown after the fire)
She explained: 'I'm still in terrible pain from my burns. I have to make sure that Lena and I are well protected when we are in the sun.
'We are also very careful with electrical appliances.'
Fortunately, Lena was left with only one small scar on her foot.
Erika and her family have since moved to Virginia in hopes of focusing on making new and happy memories.
“My family and I moved to Virginia to start a new life. The most important thing for me is that we are happy, healthy and together. “I am so grateful for that,” she said.