A North Texas family is mourning after their 17-year-old daughter, Madison Lewis, succumbed to severe burns covering over 90% of her body. The teen tragically passed away Saturday evening following a devastating accident that happened at a social gathering over the holiday break, as per FOX 4 News.
The incident occurred when Madison was standing by a burn barrel and a pan filled with gasoline was thrown into the fire by another teen, leading to an explosion. Describing the harrowing moment, Hammond said, "I thought it was a cup at first, but now I found out that it was an actual pan full of gasoline into the barrel, and they say that it just exploded and just went in her direction." The severe injuries required Madison to be put in a medically induced coma at Parkland Hospital in Dallas, where she underwent multiple surgeries, according to The Mirror.
Earlier in the week, doctors had briefly awoken Madison from her coma. Her mother observed her making small movements with her tongue, but the girl's condition necessitated a return to the coma. The heartbroken Hammond expressed her desperate wishes from Parkland Hospital before her daughter's passing: "There's nothing in the world more that I want and need than for my baby girl to be okay and to live a life." Hammond, faced with the tragedy during the festive season, couldn't muster the spirit to celebrate, saying, "This is the first year since I've been a mom that I didn't wrap one Christmas gift. Not one", as per The Mirror.
Amid the family's grief, the community has shown support through the creation of a donation fund to help with funeral expenses. The generosity extended during these trying times as Hammond was traveling back and forth between Jacksboro and Dallas. Expressing gratitude for the support her family received, Hammond said, "The Ronald McDonald House has offered monetary assistance as well as emotional support. Which is wonderful. They have just been the best to me and to my family." Despite the painful loss, the family has been touched by the compassion of others in their time of need, per The Mirror.
.jpg){kind=link}