Woman fighting for her life after 'falling asleep in the sun' caused horrific injuries

Woman fighting for her life after 'falling asleep in the sun' caused horrific injuries Betty Lou Summer, 82, suffered third-degree burns down to "the muscle and the bone" after falling asleep on a metal pool chair in Arizona heat with burns covering 30% of her body An 82 year old woman suffered devastating burns reaching "the muscle and the bone" after falling asleep while sunbathing, her daughter has revealed. Betty Lou Summer was at the Johnson Ranch community pool in San Tan Valley on June 11 when just an hour beneath the scorching Arizona sun became a life-threatening nightmare after she drifted off to sleep. She was discovered unconscious by passers-by, stricken with severe heat stroke and covered in third-degree burns. "The whole front of her body, all the way down to basically the muscle and the bone, is burned. And it's significant," Summer's daughter, Michelle Gabbert, told AZ Family. Summer was swiftly wrapped in wet towels and moved into the shade before paramedics rushed her to the Valleywise Burn Center, where doctors also identified liver and kidney damage as well as severe shock. The burns, covering roughly 30% of her body, were not solely caused by the sun, but also by the areas of her body that had been in direct contact with the metal chair, reports the Daily Star. "Her pinky tip, which was touching the metal chair, was completely, the whole tip of it was gone. Anywhere that touched the metal on the chair completely just fried," Gabbert told ABC 15. Summer, who had only recently retired, was placed on a ventilator and dialysis and has already undergone multiple operations to remove the burnt and dead skin. "We weren't sure she was gonna make it through the night," said Gabbert, who was overseas at the time. Summer is anticipated to remain in the hospital's burns unit for at least another month. She will require multiple skin grafts over the coming weeks once her tissue has sufficiently recovered. Gabbert, who works as a doctor, explained that her mother's advanced age contributed to both the seriousness of her injuries and her difficult recovery, as older people have thinner skin, less subcutaneous fat, slower healing abilities and difficulties with temperature regulation, according to ABC 15. Gabbert is sharing her mother's experience to raise awareness about the dangers of sun exposure, urging anyone heading outdoors to take proper precautions such as applying sun cream, wearing protective clothing and staying adequately hydrated. "I would have never in a million years imagined one of my family members having to go through this," Gabbert told AZ Family. You can donate to the GoFundMe page by clicking here.