The mom of a five-year-old who died inside of a hyperbaric chamber last month revealed the final act she made in an attempt to save her son, leaving her with severe burns.
Annie Cooper rushed to rescue her son Thomas after the hyperbaric chamber he was receiving oxygen therapy inside suddenly caught on fire on January 31.
The family’s lawyer, James Harrington of Feiger Law in Southfield, Michigan, revealed on Friday that Annie threw herself toward the blaze and tried pull her son out.
‘She has significant burns on her arm, and that was done during a rescue attempt to try to get her child out of the burning flames,’ Harrington told NBC News.
‘She was trying and trying to get him out and was unsuccessful.’
He continued: ‘She does have visible burns, but the real problem for her is going to be the emotional trauma.’
The heartbroken parents are ‘absolutely devastated’ after experiencing something ‘no parent should ever, ever have to go through,’ Harrington said.
On a GoFundMe to help cover funeral expenses, Annie described her son as ‘the smartest and cutest kid who liked to zoom, zoom, zoom.’
Annie Cooper rushed to try and rescue her son Thomas after the hyperbaric chamber he was receiving oxygen therapy in caught on fire on January 31
‘She has significant burns on her arm, and that was done during a rescue attempt to try to get her child out of the burning flames,’ attorney James Harrington said. ‘She was trying and trying to get him out and was unsuccessful’
‘His family loved him very much. 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,’ she wrote.
Thomas had been taken for multiple sessions of hyperbaric oxygen therapy for sleep apnea and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder at The Oxford Center, Troy location.
Oakland County Fire Department arrived minutes after the 911 about 8am on Friday, but the boy was already dead.
The fire was quickly put out and there was no damage to the rest of the facility.
‘A hyperbaric chamber contains 100 percent oxygen, which is up to five times the amount of oxygen in a normal room,’ Troy Fire Department Lt Keith Young said.
‘The presence of such a high amount of oxygen in a pressurized environment can make it extremely combustible.
‘There’s going to be multiple jurisdictions and departments throughout the state that are going to be a part of this investigation.’
The chamber increases air pressure, which helps the lungs take in more oxygen and distribute it to cells, helping to fight infection and damage.
‘This is an unimaginable tragedy, and our hearts are with the family as they navigate this immeasurable loss,’ managing partner Harrington said
Thomas had been taken for multiple sessions of hyperbaric oxygen therapy for sleep apnea and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder at The Oxford Center, Troy location
‘This is an unimaginable tragedy, and our hearts are with the family as they navigate this immeasurable loss,’ managing partner Harrington said.
‘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.’
Following Thomas’s tragic death, The Oxford Center released a statement which said: ‘The safety and wellbeing of the children we serve is our highest priority. Nothing like his has happened in our more than 15 years of providing this type of therapy.
‘We do not know why or how this happened and will participate in all of the investigations that now need to take place.’
The Troy location is temporarily closed following the incident while an investigation is underway, currently no updates have been made according to Troy police, NBC reported.
Thomas’ family have hired Harrington in preparation to sue the clinic, but it won’t be the first time it has been in legal hot water.
The Center had previously hired a convicted felon at its Brighton, Michigan, location in 2018.
The Oxford Center hired Kimberly Casey Coden (pictured in her staff photo at the time) at its other location in Brighton, Michigan, in 2018, despite her being a convicted felon
Peterson (left) was seen outside the clinic talking to police as the building was closed for an investigation into Thomas’ death
Kimberly Casey Coden, 38, worked as a director of services until 2021, creating programs to help autistic children through her behavioral analyst qualifications.
Chief executive Tami Peterson knew about Coden’s background, but, as a Christian, decided to give her a chance at ‘redemption’.
But Coden had faked all her credentials and even used the certification number of a real health professional three times to aid in her fraud.
The phony therapist already had a criminal record for identity theft and larceny in West Bloomfield Township, after pilfering from her own family.
She stole thousands of dollars and credit cards, jewelry, and even her mother’s identity to open credit cards in her name.
Shockingly, Oxford Center admitted it not only knew about these felony convictions, but also that her license and qualifications were bogus.
After local media started sniffing around in 2021 and the Michigan Attorney General’s Office began a probe, it quietly asked her to resign, then changed its name from Oxford Recovery Center to its current branding.
‘At Oxford Recovery Center, the health and safety of our patients has always been our top priority,’ Peterson wrote in an email.
Oxford Center chief executive Tami Peterson (pictured) knew all about her background, but, as a Christian, decided to give her a chance at ‘redemption’
Oakland County Fire Department arrived minutes after the 911 about 8am on Friday, but the boy was already dead
‘The situation surrounding Casey has created a distraction from our core values of serving our patients.
‘Due to this, and in our ongoing commitment to provide excellent care and services to our patients, clients and families, we have asked Casey to resign from her position at ORC.’
Coden was later charged with 16 counts of unauthorized practice of a health profession, along with the identity theft and witness intimidation charges. Her guilty plea got 10 of the charges dismissed.
She was jailed for four to seven-and-a-half years by the 44th Circuit Court on December 3, after pleading guilty to six counts of unauthorized practice of a health profession and two counts of identity theft last August.
Coden also admitted to one count of witness intimidation for sending text messages she hoped would prevent testimony against her.
Thomas’s death came two months after Coden resigned, causing another scandal for the clinic.
