A mum has vowed that she will never go near a car again after being set ablaze while attempting to help her mechanic boyfriend fix a car. Tara Rigik’s face was left “melting off” after she offered to help him with a car he was working on, something she had done multiple times before.
The 41-year-old was under the car bonnet when a spark flew off the engine, setting her jumper ablaze. The mum-of-one raced to the shower after she became engulfed in flames within seconds.
“At one point in time, I thought I was going to die or lose my eyesight at least, I was engulfed in flames,” she says.
Though after she believed her burns were minor until her face swelled up so much she was unable to see, she decided to take herself to the hospital.
“It didn’t feel or look that bad at first. I lay down with bags of frozen vegetables on me for an hour or two then my face started swelling so badly, I couldn’t even open my eyes,” she continues.
Ms Rigik was told that she had suffered from third and fourth-degree burns to her face, chest and right arm from the incident that took place on January 10. She was hospitalised for nearly two weeks.
The 41-year-old, who lives in Chicago, Illinois, US, was told that she was “lucky to be alive” by doctors who were surprised to see how well her face had healed.
Despite her recovery, Ms Rigik says that the freak incident has scarred her for life.
“Now anytime I smell or see fire or smoke, I get extremely nervous. I’m still in a lot of pain.
“I’ll be scarred for life.
“I’ll never go near a car again. It was a freak accident, it should never have happened.”