By Greg Fry

South Cariboo girl recuperating following failed science experiment

Jun 29, 2018 | 2:26 PM

100 MILE HOUSE — It will be a long road to recovery for a South Cariboo girl badly burned during a failed science experiment.

Eleven year old Presley Peterson, a student at 108 Mile Elementary School, suffered the mishap at home on June 18 as she tested her project.

The incident landed her in BC Children’s Hospital in Vancouver immediately afterwards where her mother Karen has been at her side ever since.

A GoFundMe page was launched to help the single mother manage her expenses and has already raised over $22,000. You can access the page by clicking here.

Karen says Presley’s recovery has seen “highs and lows” noting she experienced a big low when she was diagnosed with pneumonia two days ago.

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“It’s a dangerous place to be because if the bacteria gets into her flesh it won’t be good.”

However she’s keeping the faith and despite the fact Presely had burns to 20 per cent of her body she says things could have been worse.

“There have been miracles. Just the fact she was wearing glasses saved her from being blind….her face will make a full recovery she won’t need skin grafts on her face.”

Karen says doctors won’t know about the fate of her arms until her fifth burn bath which she notes have been excruciatingly painful.

She says Presley’s accident was not the school’s fault noting she found the idea for the project on YouTube.

“It was an anti-smoking project about what happens to your body and lungs when you smoke. The practical part of the experiment is you draw a huge pair of lungs on poster paper and trace and outline thin little veins with gunpowder. And it just flashes off and it turns it all green and gross. We rehearsed it all week unaware all this time the gunpowder had become airborne throughout my house”

Karen says the project “blew up” in Presley’s face during her final rehearsal.

So, what message does she have for other parents?

“Kids are on the internet all the time looking at different things….I don’t know what to say. All I know is I can’t go back in time and undo what happened. All we can do is move ahead and get through this as positive as possible and hopefully Presley can eventually make a difference in this world.”