An eight-year-old boy from the US state of Kansas narrowly avoided a fatal electrocution in a terrifying bedroom accident, suffering severe burns that will require extensive surgery.
A Terrifying Nighttime Ordeal
Lorenzo Lopez was asleep in his bed on November 20 when a freak incident occurred. His chain necklace slipped and became trapped between the prongs of his phone charger and an extension cable, creating a deadly electrical circuit.
"Lorenzo rolled over in his sleep and his chain necklace just happened to fall in between where the gap was on the extension cord and the charger, which is what shocked him," explained his mother, Kourtney Pendleton.
Waking to intense heat on his neck, Lorenzo tried to scream but found he couldn't. Showing incredible presence of mind, the young boy managed to pull the burning chain from his neck even as his t-shirt caught fire.
‘I Thought I Was Going to Die’
Speaking to KWCH from his hospital bed, Lorenzo recalled the horror of the moment. "It was chaos, but I do remember some of it," he said. "I thought I was going to die. It was just scary."
Medical staff later confirmed the gravity of his actions. "The other hospital, the lady had told him, had he not pulled that chain off, he would have been electrocuted to death. So he basically saved his own life," said Kourtney.
Lorenzo himself reflected, "I guess I saved myself and I'm happy about that."
Severe Injuries and Ongoing Recovery
The electrical accident left Lorenzo with what his mother described as "excruciating" burns across his torso, neck, and hands. Social media images shared by Kourtney show a deep singe mark on his neck from the superheated chain.
His injuries are so severe that doctors have scheduled him for skin graft surgery. Surgeons plan to take skin from his scalp, legs, and feet to repair the damaged areas. According to The Royal Orthopaedic Hospital, a skin graft involves transplanting healthy skin from a donor site to cover an affected area, often used for serious burns.
In a GoFundMe campaign set up to help with medical expenses, Kourtney revealed doctors expect Lorenzo to remain in hospital for at least two weeks to recover. In a November 28 update, she confirmed the skin graft surgery was successful, though Lorenzo was left "in a lot of pain."
"He's fighting through every moment with so much courage," she wrote. "This has been such a heavy and emotional journey, but he's holding on with a strength that inspires all of us."
A Mother's Urgent Safety Plea
Kourtney has used the traumatic experience to issue a stark warning to other parents, calling it "a terrifying, freak accident that could have happened to anyone."
Her message is unequivocal: "Parents — please, please don't let your kids sleep with electronics or charging cords on their bed. It's not worth the risk."
The family's ordeal highlights a hidden danger in modern bedrooms, where phones, tablets, and their charging cables are often left on beds overnight. Lorenzo's incredible quick thinking averted a tragedy, but his story serves as a critical reminder of electrical safety in the home.
