Burn injury

A Labor Day weekend family gathering in Northwest Florida turned tragic in 2018 when Yul Tunstall, Jr., was severely burned. The 12-year-old and his uncle were working on a car when sparks ignited a nearby container of gasoline. Flames quickly engulfed the young boy before his aunt was able to extinguish the fire by wrapping him in wet towels. Her quick thinking saved his life, but burns covered much of Yul’s body.

Over the next 12 hours, Yul was transported to three different hospitals, ultimately arriving at Children’s of Alabama. He was admitted to the pediatric intensive care unit, where he stayed for about three weeks. Yul required a ventilator off and on during that time and even coded.

Eventually, Yul’s condition improved enough for him to be transferred to the Children’s Burn Unit, where he received specialized care for almost a month.

“Yul’s doctor was amazing. She took time to explain everything to me,” Marchelle Clinton, Yul’s mom, said. “During morning rounds, I listened to the doctors discuss their plans for Yul’s treatment, and that made a big impact on me. They made me part of his treatment plan.”

Marchelle remained with Yul throughout his extended hospitalization, working remotely and attending school online from her son’s bedside. Later that fall, Yul was discharged from the hospital and was able to return with his mom to their Villa Rica, Georgia, home. 

Since then, Yul has made a number of return visits to Children’s to continue his care. He has undergone skin grafts, physical therapy, behavioral health therapy, painful skin massages and a surgical procedure on his eyes. Despite the difficulty of his recovery, Yul has been able to enjoy some hospital-related fun, too. He attended Burn Camp, where he participated in typical summer camp activities with other burn patients, and visited Disney World to celebrate the success of his treatment. Yul plans to enter the military following his high school graduation. 

“He’s a really good kid. He’s doing well,” Marchelle said. “If you didn’t know it happened to him, you wouldn’t know it happened to him. Five years later, I’m very grateful for what the team at Children’s did for my son.”