Betty-Lou Summer, 82, is fighting for her life in a burn unit ICU after suffering severe heat stroke and burns covering roughly 30% of her body while at a Queen Creek community pool. The incident occurred on June 11 when Summer, who had recently retired, fell asleep while sunbathing near her home.
Bystanders noticed she was unresponsive and called paramedics, who cooled her with wet towels and moved her to shade before rushing her to Banner Ironwood Medical Center. Her daughter, Michelle Gabbert, a physician, stated that Summer arrived in critical condition, suffering from hypovolemic shock, kidney shutdown, and liver failure. The burns resulted from both intense sun exposure and contact with metal chairs that had baked in the heat, causing severe damage to areas of skin that touched the surfaces.
Summer was transferred to a specialized burn center on June 13, where doctors performed debridement surgery to remove dead tissue and placed her on dialysis. Although she has since been removed from the ventilator and dialysis, with liver and kidney labs returning to normal, she remains in the ICU with three wound vacuums. Gabbert noted that Summer’s age contributed to the severity of the injuries due to thinner skin and difficulty regulating body temperature. Further details regarding her long-term prognosis are not yet clear.