My fiancé’s face was burnt off in horror accident as he worked extra shifts to pay for our wedding

A BRIDE-to-be has told how her fiancé’s face was burnt off in a horror accident at work.

Kayleigh McDonald, 21, from Paisley, Renfrewshire, was left distraught after learning her boyfriend Dean Breggs had become a human fireball after tragedy struck during his shift at a container yard.

Dean, 22, had been taking on more shifts to help pay for their dream wedding.

Now, less than a year before their planned big day, the pair are desperately trying to rebuild their lives.

Speaking exclusively to Fabulous Digital, charity worker Kayleigh bravely tells their story…

After seven years together, I was thrilled when my childhood sweetheart Dean proposed. We quickly began planning our big day and set a date for June 2020.

Realising money would be tight, we both took on extra shifts at work.

Then, one day in January, I was at the office at Richmond Fellowship mental health charity when I realised I had several missed calls from my fiance.

“That’s weird,” I thought. Dean’s job as a team leader at a container yard meant he rarely had free time to speak during the day.

I learned that, after opening a container, a backdraft explosion had engulfed Dean’s face, burning him alive

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I was just about to ring him back, when another call came through.

I picked up, expecting to hear Dean’s voice, and was surprised when it was his boss who responded.

“Hi Kayleigh,” he said, rushing his words. “Dean’s had a bit of an accident and he’s slightly burned, he’s on his way to hospital now.”

Shocked, I left work and drove straight to A&E, picking up Dean’s parents Katie and Bobby on the way.

I was panicking but tried to stay calm, reassured by how minor it had sounded on the phone.

But when I arrived at the hospital, it was a different story. I learned that, after opening a container, a backdraft explosion had engulfed Dean’s face, burning him alive.

The force of the blast had thrown him against another container. His clothes had melted from the blaze.

Too badly burnt to be salvaged, the dead skin on his face was scraped completely off

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In a desperate attempt to save his life, Dean fled from the fire and threw himself into a muddy puddle, to try and put out the flames.

But it was too late. After a whole minute in the inferno, my groom’s face had been burned clean off.

I felt faint when I heard the news, the true extent of what had happened to him was horrifying.

“Dean’s injuries are quite extensive,” the doctor warned me. “Please don’t show him your shock.” I nodded in disbelief as I followed him into the room, holding my breath.

“It’s going to be fine,” I told myself. “His boss said it was just a slight burn.” Nothing could have prepared me for the scene waiting in that hospital room.

When I first saw Dean lying in his hospital bed, I couldn’t help but gasp. His face and hands were raw. His skin was so badly charred, it was peeling away from his body.

Somehow I managed to hold it together, for Dean’s sake, but I broke down in tears as soon as he was gone. I felt completely helpless

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Clearly in a lot of pain, Dean could barely open his eyes. His whole body looked swollen.

Trying not to show how terrified I was, I put on a brave face, smiling as he turned to look at me. “It’s bad,” he mumbled. Seeing him in so much pain broke my heart.

We only got two minutes together, before he was wheeled into surgery. “You’re going to be fine,” I told him. “I’ll see you soon. I love you.”

Somehow I managed to hold it together, for Dean’s sake, but I broke down in tears as soon as he was gone. I felt completely helpless.

For nine long hours, I waited as doctors painstakingly took skin grafts from Dean’s thigh, to reconstruct his burnt arms and face.

Too badly burnt to be salvaged, the dead skin on his face was scraped completely off.

There was a split second when I seriously considered giving up and burning to death – the pain was excruciating

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After what felt like an eternity, the doctor reappeared with good news. “The surgery was a success,” he told me. “You can see him now.”

He took me into intensive care – where Dean lay unconscious, sedated after his gruelling surgery. He was wrapped in bandages, hooked up to various IV drips and machinery.

The sight of Dean like this brought me to tears, but the doctors assured me he was going to pull through.

“We’re not going to bring him round for a little while yet, until he can cope with the amount of pain he’ll be in. But we’re confident he’ll make a full recovery,” they told me.

I took a seat by his bed, determined not to leave his side until he woke. I needed to know Dean was going to be OK.

By the next morning, I was exhausted but Dean was slowly starting to come round.

“Thank God you’re alright,” I gushed as he opened his eyes. “What a nightmare,” Dean replied, taking in his surroundings.

The next task was to get him well again. It was heartbreaking to see Dean struggle with everyday tasks, but the doctors were amazed at his speedy recovery. Ultimately, he was lucky to be alive.

After a few days, the nurses started to remove Dean’s bandages. He was shocked by the unfamiliar skin on his arms.

“My tattoo has burnt off,” he said sadly, showing me his wrist. We had matching tattoos on our arms, inking the date we first met into our skin.

“It doesn’t matter,” I told him. “What matters is you’re still here.”

As time went on, Dean’s progress continued and he was moved from the ICU to a hospital ward. Three weeks after the explosion, he was finally able to come home.

Dean is still recovering at home, with me taking care of him. He’s been unable to return to work, which has put a strain on our wedding fund, but we’re determined to stay positive.

I’m just glad he is still alive. I can’t believe how close I came to losing him.