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Mum left traumatised by horrific car crash praised £7.99 oil for banishing the livid burns that were a constant reminder of her ordeal

A pharmacy assistant left traumatised by a horrific car crash has praised a £7.99 over the counter remedy for ridding her of the livid burn marks that were a constant reminder of her ordeal.

Paige Sweeney, 27, was driving to work along the ring road near her home in Bestwood Park, Nottingham, after dropping her son Duggan, three, at nursery in March when she changed lanes – swerving when she spotted a car at the last minute, which had been in her blind spot.

Travelling at the 40mph speed limit when she lost control of her Seat Leon car and hit a lamppost, inflating the airbags, she was left with severe burns to her right arm, serious whiplash and a broken thumb socket.

Paige was in a car crash that left her with burns. PA REAL LIFE COLLECT
Paige was in a car crash that left her with burns. PA REAL LIFE COLLECT

But long after her injuries healed and the shock wore off Paige, who also has a daughter, Evie-Rae, seven, with her partner Austen Wood, 30, a lightning conduction engineer, was left with angry burn scars which brought back her trauma.

She said: “The crash has definitely left its mental scars.

“I am an incredibly cautious driver now and my friends say I’m a very nervous passenger.”

Paige says the crash gave her a more positive outlook on life. PA REAL LIFE COLLECT
Paige says the crash gave her a more positive outlook on life. PA REAL LIFE COLLECT

She added: “But looking down at the bright red scars left by the burns was a constant reminder of what happened.”

Paige had been following a route she uses every working day when the accident happened.

Recalling feeling dazed when she hit the lamppost, she said: “I remember seeing smoke and not knowing if it was from the airbag or the engine.”

Paige’s car after the crash. PA REAL LIFE COLLECT
Paige’s car after the crash. PA REAL LIFE COLLECT

She added: “I was panicking and felt more bothered about the state of the car than about myself.

“I knew I’d properly hurt myself, as I was wearing my work jacket and there were burn marks all down its right sleeve and my right thumb really hurt.”

Luckily, a Police Community Support Officer (PCSO) was patrolling nearby and came to help, while a man who happened to be a trained nurse, came out of his house and took her observations at the roadside.

Paige was left with burn scars from the accident. PA REAL LIFE COLLECT
Paige was left with burn scars from the accident. PA REAL LIFE COLLECT

Rather than taking an ambulance to A&E, Paige had phoned her family and her sister drove her to Queen’s Medical Centre hospital in Nottingham.

She said: “I wasn’t made to wait – I was rushed straight through to the trauma unit.

“I had severe whiplash, which was incredibly painful. I couldn’t lift my head without being in agony.”

Paige’s arm while it was healing. PA REAL LIFE COLLECT
Paige’s arm while it was healing. PA REAL LIFE COLLECT

Given an X-ray, her right thumb socket was broken and her arm and hand were bandaged and later put into a cast to the elbow for five weeks, so they could heal.

She said: “The accident was my fault.

“I felt very dazed and emotional. I didn’t really know what to do.”

Paige is mum to Evie-Rae, aged seven, and Duggan, aged three. PA REAL LIFE COLLECT
Paige is mum to Evie-Rae, aged seven, and Duggan, aged three. PA REAL LIFE COLLECT

She added: “I was just so grateful that my children hadn’t been in the car.

“At the hospital, because of Covid, I was put in a cubicle on my own and when I looked down and saw the burns on the arm of my work jacket, that it really hit me and I started crying.

“I think it was the friction as the air bag inflated to protect me that burned my arms. They’re really powerful when they inflate and I put my hands up as they came out to protect my head. It was all a bit of a blur.”

Paige’s car was wrapped around a lamp post. PA REAL LIFE COLLECT
Paige’s car was wrapped around a lamp post. PA REAL LIFE COLLECT

The accident happened on Wednesday March 4 but, because her partner’s job means him working away, she did not see him until the Friday.

She said: “I was worried that he would be annoyed about the car, as I was blaming myself.

“But he was brilliant. He said, ‘All I care about is that you’re all right. The car’s replaceable, but you’re not.'”

Paige’s arm in a hospital bandage. PA REAL LIFE COLLECT
Paige’s arm in a hospital bandage. PA REAL LIFE COLLECT

She added: “I had to get my mum to help with the kids and stuff, as I couldn’t stop crying for a few days when the shock hit and I only had one useable hand, so I wasn’t much use.”

Once the cast was removed, Paige’s arm and thumb healed well and the strength soon returned – although she still gets the odd twinge of pain.

But, told to moisturise her burns, she was concerned that the scars were not fading.

Paige with her children Evie-Rae and Duggan. PA REAL LIFE COLLECT
Paige with her children Evie-Rae and Duggan. PA REAL LIFE COLLECT

She said: “My daughter suffered really badly with dry skin caused by eczema until we tried an over-the-counter cream called Child’s Farm and it cleared up.

“It’s made by a firm called Farmologie, so I tried their Coconut Oil to see if it would work for me.”

Left with dry, cracked skin from her cast, she was astonished when, within a week, not only had that cleared but her scars were visibly fading.

Paige’s arm before and after healing. PA REAL LIFE COLLECT
Paige’s arm before and after healing. PA REAL LIFE COLLECT

“After just six weeks, my scars had practically disappeared,” she said.

“It wasn’t purely a vanity thing. Every time I saw the red marks, it brought the trauma of the accident back.

“And, I have to say, the oil left my skin feeling amazing, too.”

Paige Sweeney works as a pharmacy assistant. PA REAL LIFE COLLECT
Paige Sweeney works as a pharmacy assistant. PA REAL LIFE COLLECT

With her burns healed, Paige is now trying to put the accident behind her.

She said: “At first, I just walked everywhere, but I knew I had to get back behind the wheel.

“It took me seven weeks to do, but I did it.”

Paige’s arm has healed after using the oil. PA REAL LIFE COLLECT
Paige’s arm has healed after using the oil. PA REAL LIFE COLLECT

She added: “I never go in the right hand lane anymore, I just stay in the middle, on that specific bit of road.

“But my partner has been very supportive. He says I am a safe driver and this was just really unfortunate.

“And I thank my lucky stars that the children weren’t with me and that my injuries weren’t that bad.

“To anyone else this happens to, my advice is to get back behind the wheel and to stay positive.”