This article discusses a tragic incident involving the loss of a child, which some readers might find upsetting.
A five-year-old boy named Thomas Cooper tragically lost his life in a devastating incident when a hyperbaric chamber at The Oxford Center in Troy, Michigan, caught fire, causing him fatal injuries. The incident occurred shortly before 8 am on January 31.
In a desperate attempt to save her child, Thomas’ mother, Annie Cooper from Royal Oak, which is an inner-ring suburb of Detroit located about 15 minutes south of Troy, tried to rescue him from the flames but was unfortunately unable to do so.
The family’s attorney, James Harrington of Feiger Law, described the physical and emotional toll on Thomas’ mother as she struggled to save her son. Speaking to NBC News, he mentioned, “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. She was trying and trying to get him out and was unsuccessful.”
He further added, “She does have visible burns. But the real problem for her is going to be the emotional trauma.”
A GoFundMe page was initially set up to support the family with expenses related to Thomas’ passing, but it appears that his mother, who may have created the page, has since suspended it.
The page’s description poignantly described Thomas’ interests and personality, highlighting his love for activities such as singing “I love mama, I love mama, I love mama so very much,” and expressing sentiments like “my momma is the best in the whole world.” It fondly remembered him as “the smartest and cutest kid that liked to zoom, zoom, zoom,” and who had a curiosity for germs and how things worked.
His favorite pastime was to engage in ‘super sonic mode,’ where he would run as fast as he could. He enjoyed nature school, where he would run, jump, and roll down hills, and he loved mud, ice stomping, and had an immense love for both of his parents.
Thomas was passionate about Minecraft, loved its characters, and followed a related YouTube channel. He also adored Mario, often dressing up as the character, while his brother dressed as Luigi, and together they shared a special bond.
The Oxford Center, known for its comprehensive wellness approach that integrates hyperbaric oxygen therapy with traditional therapies such as speech-language pathology, has temporarily closed following the incident.
On the day of the tragedy, January 31, the center released this statement: “This is an exceptionally difficult day for all of us.”
“As law enforcement officials have shared, at our location in Troy, Michigan this morning, a fire started inside of a hyperbaric oxygen chamber. The child being treated in that chamber did not survive and the child’s mother was injured.
“The safety and wellbeing of the children we serve is our highest priority. Nothing like this has happened in our more than 15 years of providing this type of therapy,” they stated.
They added, “We do not know why or how this happened and will participate in all of the investigations that now need to take place.”
For those who have experienced a bereavement and are seeking confidential support, GrieveWell can be contacted at (734) 975-0238, or via email at [email protected].