A five-year-old Michigan boy died in a bizarre, tragic incident during receiving treatment when the hyperbaric chamber exploded.
The tragedy happened at The Oxford Center in Troy, Michigan, on January 31, somewhere before 8 a.m. local time.
The law firm representing the family has identified the victim as Thomas Cooper.
When officers and firefighters arrived at the center, they found young Thomas inside the chamber dead.
Lt. Keith Young of the Detroit Fire Department said the hyperbaric chamber contained 100% oxygen, making it extremely flammable.
“Upon arrival, the first responding units unfortunately discovered a 5-year-old boy deceased on the scene,” Lt. Ben Hancock of the Troy Police Department said at a press conference.
At the time of the explosion, Thomas’ mother was standing near the hyperbaric chamber. She sustained injuries to her arm.
At the time being, an investigation regarding the reasons that led the hyperbaric chamber to explode is ongoing.
James Harrington, managing partner of Fieger Law, the law firm representing the family, released a statement regarding the tragedy, calling it unimaginable.
“We ask that the public and media respect the family’s privacy at this time. We are investigating every aspect of this matter and will report our findings in due time. The safety of children should always be the top priority, and this incident raises serious concerns about hyperbaric chambers and the oversight and regulation of hyperbaric treatments,” the statement read.
A GoFundMe page started to help Thomas’ family said “His family loved him very much.”
Annie Cooper, who organized the fundraiser said, “He was a smart, intelligent boy and his parents loved him how he was. He was perfect in every way. He was the best, best boy there ever was.
Further, Annie said, “He asked to see pictures of germs, liked to know how things worked, he liked to make field journals and he had finally started adding facial features to his people drawings.”
According to his family, “Thomas loved life.”
At the moment, it is still not known what caused the explosion or what kind of treatment the boy was getting.
The website of The Oxford Center, however, states it provides therapy for children with autism, cancer, ADHD, autoimmune diseases, and multiple others.
Our thoughts and prayers go to the grieving family.
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