Tilly Sawford fell into the boiling water when she was 15 months old
Her injuries were so severe she had just a 5 per cent chance of survival
Little girl blacked out and her skin came off in her mother's hands
But she has defied the odds, having hundreds of operations - including having shark cartilage and cow collagen grafted onto her skin
Doctors have described Tilly as a 'living triumph' after they said they had never seen a child with burns as bad.
Tilly has made a miracle recovery after having her 321st operation
When she fell into a bath of scalding hot water at only 15 months old, doctors gave Tilly Sawford a five per cent chance of survival.
Five times they warned her devastated parents Emma and Kyle that their little girl would probably not survive – and five times she pulled through.
Four years and 321 operations later, Tilly is a happy schoolgirl, described as a ‘living triumph’ by her astonished doctors.
Tilly suffered her horrific injuries in March 2009, when one of her brothers accidentally turned on the hot tap while she climbed on a beanbag next to the bath.
Because of a fault with the boiler, the water was scalding.
Mrs Sawford had left her for just a few seconds to nip downstairs.
Mrs Sawford, 26, recalled: 'I was cleaning upstairs at home and my washing machine had finished running downstairs.
'Normally I put Tilly in her cot if I can't see her, but she was playing with her Princess Kitchen. I went downstairs for a few seconds.
'I heard a scream and ran back upstairs. Tilly was in the bath tub. She must have leaned over and fallen in.
'Her eyes rolled back and she went unconscious with the pain. I picked her up straight away and pulled the plug out. Her skin was coming off in my hands.
'I think I started to go into shock, I couldn't speak properly, it was awful.
'Tilly was only in the water for seconds but it was enough to cause her to pass out with the pain.'
She and her husband rushed Tilly to the Queen's Medical Centre before she was transferred to a specialist burns unit at Birmingham Children's Hospital at 3am where she underwent a 12-hour operation.
'It felt like the wind had been knocked out of me, my world started to fall apart,' said Mrs Sawford.
'I genuinely thought I'd lost my daughter. I thought several times that I would be planning a funeral.
'The fact she hadn't died is a miracle - I'm so grateful.
'We've since had to move out of that house because it brings back too many bad memories.'
Doctors told the couple to expect the worst after they said they had never seen a child with burns as bad as Tilly's.
But she made an incredible recovery and even took a few steps while recovering in Birmingham.
She now uses a walking frame or a pair of crutches to help her get around at school, which she started last September.
Her mother said: 'She can walk a little bit, she struggles to get up the stairs but she normally gets on really well. She's so independent, she doesn't like me doing stuff for her unless she really needs it.
'Tilly absolutely loves school, she's got so many friends and she loves going. She'll go to get the register for the teacher and enjoys playing with her friends.
Doctors have described Tilly as a 'living triumph'
Tilly Sawford at home in Nottingham
Tilly now uses a walking frame or a pair of crutches to help her get around at school
'She tries to do everything, you never see her upset or grumpy, it's absolutely amazing, she just gets on with it.
'I'm just thankful every day because it's just amazing that she's alive. Her legs have been bad recently but we're hoping to get her into horse riding if we can, she absolutely loves it.'
The smiling youngster enjoys playing with brothers Toby, eight, Kaden, six, and sister Elise, three.
Mrs Sawford added: It's been a complete emotional roller-coaster. It has been incredibly hard at times. I just want her to have the best future possible.
'Her wounds mean the skin tightens and she wasn't able to straighten her leg for a long time.
'I am so grateful for the care she has received - it's because of that care that she is here today.'
Children's burns surgeon Ciaran O'Boyle, from Nottingham's Queen's Medical Centre, said that Tilly had the worst case of burns he had ever seen.
He said: 'Tilly's personality is inspiring. She has been put through a lot and it has not phased her at all. The most remarkable and surprising thing about Tilly is that she survived.
'She is a living triumph. Had she not had the right care in that first 24 hours she would have died.'
Yesterday, Tilly underwent her 321st operation at the Queen's Medical Centre in Nottingham.
She is now recovering from at home in Strelley, Nottinghamshire.
She said: 'I feel better than I used to, I can't wait to get back to school and play with my friends. I love singing too, I always sing whenever I can. School is a lot of fun, counting is my favourite thing to do.'
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