Family members of Cameron Russell, a badly burned 13-year-old boy from Burleson, told NBC 5 the teen has suffered a major setback.
“He was alert, he was awake, talking a little bit, eating and everything – and then, he went into cardiac arrest,” said Donna Russell, Cameron's aunt.
Cameron was one of four boys who, including his older brother, was burned on the evening before Thanksgiving. Investigators said the boys were playing with gasoline in a backyard when something went horribly wrong.
Cameron’s family said the teen was burned over 80 percent of his body and was in a medically induced coma at Parkland Memorial Hospital in Dallas.
Nearly two months after the incident the family reports the teen went into cardiac arrest.
“We don’t really know what happened,” Donna Russell said.
The family told NBC 5 that doctors said Cameron likely suffered brain damage during the latest health scare.
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The teen remains at Parkland Hospital, where, Donna Russell said, his father is driving to be with him daily.
On Sunday, family and friends hosted a fundraiser in Fort Worth to cover what they said are “mounting” medical expenses, specifically, they said, because the boys’ father has not been able to work steadily because of his son’s health.
However, despite the challenges, Donna Russell said they remain faithful that it is possible to bring Cameron home.
“We’re praying for a miracle,” she said. “There’s always hope. If you believe in God –he’s in God’s hands. It’s something we have to deal with.”
