A young woman who suffered life-changing injuries after her lice shampoo caught fire when she was a schoolgirl is now training to become a counsellor, saying her ordeal has made her more resilient.
Aleema Ali, now 21 and from Bradford, was just 12 years old when her hair and body went up in flames after she walked past a lit hob while a highly flammable lice treatment was still on her hair.
The horrific accident left her with burns across half her body, and she lost seven fingers. Aleema spent six weeks in a coma and nine months in hospital, where she underwent daily surgeries and had to relearn basic skills such as walking, talking and eating.
She has now returned to education and is studying at university, hoping to use her experience to support others dealing with trauma.
Aleema said, “When my hair caught fire, my mum just started screaming. I didn’t know what was going on at first, as it was just my hair that was on fire, so I didn’t feel any pain. Then I saw my reflection in the window, and stood frozen in shock.
“The flames spread to my scalp, and I was hit with an intense pain. When the paramedic lay me down in the ambulance I screamed at him to put me to sleep because I couldn’t cope with the pain. The next thing I remember is waking up six weeks later.”
The accident happened in December 2016 when Aleema returned home from boarding school for the Christmas holidays and realised she had nits. Her mother applied a medicated shampoo to treat the lice. After the treatment was put on, Aleema walked to the bin to throw the packaging away.
But as she passed the lit hob in the kitchen, her hair ignited. At first, she didn’t understand what was happening until her mother screamed and Aleema saw the flames reflected in the window.
Her older sister, who was eight months pregnant at the time, rushed downstairs after hearing the commotion and pulled Aleema outside. Aleema reportedly passed out briefly from the pain before her sister grabbed a deliveryman’s jacket and used it to pat out the flames.
Paramedics arrived quickly and carried Aleema into an ambulance, where she begged them to sedate her. After waking from her coma, her family tried to prepare her for the extent of her injuries.
“My parents told me not to look in the mirror, as I looked so different. They really helped me to prepare, so when I finally looked at my reflection, it wasn’t that hard, as I’d already imagined the worst. I felt like I was back to being a baby, having to learn to walk, talk, and feed myself again.
“Nine years on, I still have bad days, when every stares at me in the street it’s really hard, but I’m getting better at coping. My accident has made me and my family so much more resilient, and open minded.”
Aleema returned home in August 2017, still needing six hours of nursing care each day. She was homeschooled for a year before starting a new school in September 2018. “It was so hard joining a new school when I looked so different from everyone else”, she said.
Now at university, Aleema continues to undergo surgeries and recently had skin taken from her groin to create ear flaps so she can wear earrings. She also shares her recovery journey online through @aleemaxali, while continuing to adapt to daily challenges.
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