A B.C. community is grieving the tragic death of a 13-year old girl who succumbed to complications from burns received at a backyard campfire.
Terrace鈥檚 Grace Peerless passed away at the B.C. Children鈥檚 Hospital at 1 a.m. May 26.
Grace鈥檚 mother, Lynn Peerless, said the family may never know how the flames reached her daughter, only that she was alone at the fire pit around 9 p.m., May 24, when her hair and clothes caught fire. Lynn believes a hot ember landed on her daughter鈥檚 clothing with hairspray acting as an accelerant.
鈥淪he鈥檚 from the north 鈥� she鈥檚 been around fire her whole life. She鈥檚 a scout. She wouldn鈥檛 just fall in,鈥� Lynn said.
Lynn had heard her daughter鈥檚 screams then found her consumed in flames near the fire pit, she said. She yelled at Grace to stop, drop and roll while her 17-year-old son used a garden hose to douse the flames.
Grace was airlifted from Terrace鈥檚 Mills Memorial Hospital to B.C. Children鈥檚 Hospital in Vancouver where she was admitted to the pediatric intensive care unit. According to the family Grace suffered mostly second-degree burns to 30 per cent of her upper body. Doctors told the family Grace鈥檚 likelihood of survival was as high as 95 per cent but complications quickly escalated and Grace passed away within 36 hours of the accident.
鈥淓veryone is stunned. I mean the doctors don鈥檛 even understand why,鈥� said Lynn. 鈥淚 was ready to help her through a very long recovery鈥t least she would be alive.鈥�
The BC Coroners Service can only confirm a Terrace female in her early teens was airlifted to the B.C. Children鈥檚 Hospital in Vancouver May 24 and pronounced deceased May 26. No other information is available until the coroner鈥檚 investigation is complete.
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The Peerless family was told today, May 29, it could take longer than a year to receive the report that may explain the complications leading to Grace鈥檚 death, and perhaps how the flames ignited in her hair and clothing in the first place.
As condolences spread to the family through social media, Grace was remembered as a consummate storyteller, a happy teenager and an adventurous scout.
鈥淚t鈥檚 amazing how many people are coming forward, and I鈥檓 learning just how many people鈥檚 lives she touched,鈥� Lynn said. 鈥淪he was a true floater, someone who could drift through every crowd. It didn鈥檛 matter if your family was on welfare or you were the richest kid in school, she鈥檇 treat you the same.鈥�
On Monday morning at the doors to Skeena Middle School, where Grace was a student, a makeshift memorial had sprung up as people dropped off flowers and notes.
School District 82 Superintendent of Schools, Katherine McIntosh, said resources were available to help everyone at the school move through the difficult time.
鈥淥ur staff and students share a heartfelt sadness around the loss of this young life,鈥� she said in an email. 鈥淎t times like this, as everyone else in our community, our hearts go out to the family and relatives.鈥�
A celebration of life has been planned for Tuesday, June 5 at 4 p.m at Terrace鈥檚 the REM Lee Theater. A reception will follow.
The family says they鈥檝e incurred close to $10,000 in expenses for travel and funeral arrangements, for which a
quinn@terracestandard.com
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