Severe burn from wild parsnip lands Ottawa man in hospital
*Warning this story contains graphic contents*
An Ottawa man is recovering after suffering serious burn injuries from a wild parsnip plant, with the impacts of his wounds expected to last years.
“You don’t want this, this will affect your life,” that is the warning from Jayson Delorme, after a grueling few weeks.
Delorme is recovering at home after weeks in hospital. He was burned by a wild parsnip plant while playing paintball in Ottawa’s west end.
“Blisters the size of golf balls, I couldn’t walk,” he said. “Burning blisters hundreds of them.”
Delorme suffered first and second degree burns, within days it covered 85 per cent of his body.
“This is no joke, I’ve cried many times I still do, I cried the most when it was reaching my neck,” he said.
“It was really tough just seeing him in so much pain and seeing him without the bandages,” said his daughter, Chandra Delorme.
He’ll be dealing with the impact of his injuries for years. Delorme said he isn’t allowed in the sun and has to wear special clothing from now on.
Like many, Delorme didn’t know what wild parsnip was or what it looked like.
Here are the plant’s characteristics:
- It stands between 0.5-1.5 metres tall
- It has a slender tall green stem with yellow flowers at the top
- The plant is most dangerous when in full bloom
- The sap on the skin is what can cause injuries
“Know the areas where it grows, ditches, nature trails, even teach your kids to be aware of not going to pick wild flowers because they could be picking the heads of one of these plants,” said Chris Paquette, program manager with the City of Ottawa’s Public Works.
The city says it has treated several areas in the city where parsnip has been an issue. Signs also warn residents of areas where parsnip has been identified, but not yet removed.
Diana Thibodeau spotted wild parsnip in her back yard weeks ago in Gloucester and was able to safely remove it.
“I am just so grateful for my curiosity and my love of plants, because when I saw a new one it’s kind of, ‘Oh, I’m curious what have I got growing on my property now?' If I had not done that, I would’ve had no idea that’s what was going on on my property and probably would’ve gotten burned,” said Thibodeau.
And so while education and awareness are the keys to staying safe, Delorme is sharing his story to help others.
“I’m here to show you the suffering I went through, I don’t want anyone to do it, it ain’t fun,” he said.
Delorme’s daughter has started a GoFund me page to help support him in his recovery. He has been off work for weeks now and won’t be able to return for quite some time.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Quebec man who threatened Trudeau, Legault online sentenced to 20 months in jail
A Quebec man who pleaded guilty to threatening Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Premier François Legault has been sentenced to 20 months in jail.
Grandparents killed in wrong-way crash on Hwy. 401 identified
A 60-year-old man and a 55-year-old woman killed in a wrong-way crash on Highway 401 earlier this week have been identified by the Consulate General of India in Toronto.
The kids from 'Mrs. Doubtfire are all SUPER grown up now, and we're not OK
The adorable trio of child actors from the 1993 classic comedy 'Mrs. Doubtfire,' which starred the late and great Robin Williams, are all grown up and looking back on their seminal time together.
Parliamentary report on Emergencies Act decision is 18 months past due — and counting
The erstwhile group of senators and MPs studying the federal government's invocation of the Emergencies Act over the "Freedom Convoy" was supposed to present its findings in December. December of 2022, that is.
Drone footage shows Ukrainian village battered to ruins as residents flee Russian advance
The Ukrainian village of Ocheretyne has been battered by fighting, drone footage obtained by The Associated Press shows. The village has been a target for Russian forces in the Donetsk region of eastern Ukraine.
Egypt media cite progress in truce talks as Israel downplays chances of end to war with Hamas
A delegation of the Palestinian militant group Hamas was in Cairo on Saturday as Egyptian state media reported "noticeable progress" in ongoing cease-fire talks with Israel while an Israeli official downplayed the prospects for a full end to the war.
Bystander livestreams during Charlotte standoff show an ever-growing appetite for social media video
Saing Chhoeun was locked out of his Charlotte, N.C., home on Monday as law enforcement with high-powered rifles descended into his yard and garage, using a car as a shield as they were met with a shower of gunfire from the direction of his neighbor's house.
Britney Spears 'home and safe' after paramedics responded to an incident at the Chateau Marmont, source tells CNN
A source close to singer Britney Spears tells CNN that the pop star is 'home and safe' after she had a 'major fight' with her boyfriend on Wednesday night at the Chateau Marmont in West Hollywood.
TD worst-case scenario more likely after drug money laundering allegations: analyst
TD Bank Group could be hit with more severe penalties than previously expected, says a banking analyst after a report that the investigation it faces in the U.S. is tied to laundering illicit fentanyl profits.