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DALLAS, NC – The mother of a 1-year-old girl severly burned while in the care of her babysitter tells WCCB she has trouble believing it was an accident.
“They told us to pray for the best and prepare for the worst,” said Carrie Niggel, a Dallas resident.
That was the word from doctors at the Burn Center in Winston Salem three weeks ago when 16-month-old Isabelle Niggel came in with first, second and third degree burns covering almost 30 percent of her body.
“They’re still telling us that Isabelle is not completely out of the woods with losing her life yet,” said Niggel.
Isabelle has undergone four surgeries since June 8. Her mother, Carrie Niggel, showed WCCB’s Audrina Bigos the bathtub where investigators say Isabelle climbed in while scalding hot water ran for nearly thirty minutes.
“Why? Why did this have to happen to one of my babies. Isabelle is only 16-months-old. She didn’t do anything to deserve none of this,” said Niggel.
Gaston County Police say it happened while the babysitter, 24-year-old Cassandra Willard, was supposed to be watching her and four other kids. Police say Willard was listening to music on her headphones and playing on the computer so she didn’t hear Isabelle’s screams.
Willard made the 911 call after Isabelle’s dad came home, heard Isabelle screaming and found her in the tub.
911 call: “She got into a tub of hot water somehow. Her skin is peeling and she’s completely red.”
Carrie says Willard watched her kids often and thought she could trust her. She lived in the home with the family on the Dallas-Stanley Highway.
Now, Niggel says she doesn’t believe Willard’s story – that she left Isabelle for only five minutes and that Isabelle turned the faucet on herself.
“I haven’t ever seen her do it myself so that part, I don’t know if I honestly, really believe that part or not,” said Niggel.
Willard is now behind bars facing child abuse charges.
Isabelle is scheduled for another surgery on July 10.
There is a donation page set up to help the family: http://www.gofundme.com/a7da9c
