by Bea Peterson
According to his aunt, Brandi Thompson, 12 year old Tanner Thompson, a student at HFCS, received severe burns on his face, right hand and stomach on Friday, November 30. She said the family was having a bonfire in the back yard of their Lyman Street home when Tanner picked up a gas can that was nearby. Flames leaped from the fire to the can and to Tanner. His flaming shirt was ripped off of him, and he was immediately taken by his mother, Donna Thompson, to Southwestern Vermont Medical Center. The weather was unsuitable for helicopters so Tanner was then transported by Cambridge Ambulance Service to the Burn Center at Westchester Medical Center.
[private]Thompson said Tanner will remain in the hospital all of this week and maybe the following week. They have been told that as long as there is no sign of infection, he may be home for Christmas. Tanner’s mother has been at his side throughout the ordeal. His younger brother, Hunter, is staying
with his aunt and with his grandparents.
Thompson said she visited with Tanner and his mother this weekend. She said they are keeping him heavily sedated and, at this point, he is “zombie-like.” She said they brought him something special to eat and he fell asleep while he was eating. This is a concern for the doctors because he has lost 13 pounds since he was admitted.
Thompson said the first degree burns on his face have healed very well. “He looks phenomenal,” she said. She had nothing but praise for the Burn Center and the staff. “They are doing a phenomenal job,” she said.
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