A WLOX Report
LONG BEACH – It was a freak accident that left two children with severe second and third degree burns all over their bodies. That's how one family member describes the explosion at a home on Smith Road in Harrison County over the weekend.
Katelyn and Tyler Myers are being treated at a burn center in Augusta, Georgia. On Tuesday, the children's aunt talked to WLOX about the children's physical injuries and the family's own emotional agony.
“It was very hard. My nephew doesn't even look the same. He had a lot of burns to his face, so nothing about him looks like him,” said Amber Allen, who just returned from visiting her niece and nephew in the hospital.
Allen said both Tyler, 12, and Katelyn, 8, are on ventilators, feeding tubes, and they are in a semi-conscious coma. Doctors told the family the next ten days will be critical.
“Oh, traumatized, traumatized. I mean their parents are blaming themselves and it's very hard to go from room to room and see your kids like that,” said Allen, with tears in her eyes.
It happened Saturday afternoon. Tyler and Katelyn were playing on the trampoline in the family's front yard. Their parents were inside the house.
Suddenly, they heard a loud explosion.
“When they got outside, my nephew was already rolling on the ground. He stopped, dropped and rolled. She put my niece out. She was kind of in flames,” said Allen. “It was just a freak accident and it happened so fast.”
In a panic, Shannon and Elisha Myers rushed their children to Memorial Hospital at Gulfport.
“My sister was scared to even touch them because their skin was hanging. They were screaming, saying that they know they're going to die, they're burning,” said Allen. “The kids actually got out of the car and ran into Memorial. The nurses and doctors said they had never seen anything like it, that those were the two strongest kids.”
Family members are still trying to figure out how the accident happened.
“My nephew said he was trying to stop his sister from pouring the gas and he couldn't stop her in time. So we're assuming maybe my nephew started some sort of fire and they had a gas can. No one knows the truth. No one knows exactly what happened except for Tyler and Katelyn,” said Allen.
Both children are now clinging to life at Joseph M. Still Burn Center in Georgia. Katelyn suffered burns over 85-percent of her body. Tyler's burns were mainly on his face, arms, and legs.
“They're just a blessing. They're very sweet kids, very well mannered. They're just innocent little children who are burned severely right now and need help,” said Allen.
Both children are undergoing a series of surgeries to remove dead skin, as well as skin grafts.
“They're very strong kids obviously. They ran in Memorial by foot while they were burned, so they're very strong,” said Allen. “We'll make it through this. We just need lots of prayers, lots of support.”
Tyler and Katelyn are expected to remain in Georgia for at least two more months. The family has set up an account at Hancock Bank to help their parents with food, lodging and travel expenses. Donations can also be made at Quarles Elementary School in Long Beach, where Katelyn is a student.
