COMSTOCK PARK, Mich. -- Just by looking at him, you would never be able to imagine the suffering 5-month-old Jason Franklin has already endured in his short life.
Jason was only recently released from the hospital after a month-long stay under intensive care for burns the infant incurred in a freak accident. Now, the stress and pressure is mounting for Jason's single mother of three, Heather Rector.
"It's been traumatic for all of us," Rector told us at a fundraiser for her son on Friday.
Jason was born with respiratory trouble, so Rector tried several humidifier devices throughout his life to help him breathe easier.
"We've tried vaporizers, cool mist humidifiers," said Rector, "and finally, I bought a warm mist humidifier and that seemed to work best for him."
But on July 9, that humidifier which had worked wonders for little Jason in the past, did more harm than good. Heather and Jason's two older sisters were sitting near the humidifier, which was placed next to Jason. When one of his sister's went to stand up, she tripped on the cord, knocking 140-degree water onto her nearby brother. Doctors said it took less than one second for Jason to receive second and third degree burns to his hands, thighs and abdomen.
Jason spent the next 21 days inside intensive care at DeVos - having to be sedated daily while doctors changed the wrappings on his painful burns. Finally, they put the infant in a medically induced coma while they treated him. And upon his release, still Heather makes weekly trips to the hospital for follow-ups. The physical scars are equally as bad as the emotional scars left on the family, she tells us. Even her daughters still have nightmares following the traumatic incident.
"We live near a fire station and every time she hears a fire truck she starts screaming and runs and finds her brother to make sure that he's okay."
But now, the real burden on Heather are the finances that have piled up since the accident.
"I'm in a hard spot," she said. "I can't work, I can't find someone to watch my son so that I can go back to work. Because I could put my daughters in daycare, but then I'm left with Jason and he can't go to a regular daycare center."
If you would like to help the family, you can do so by visiting their GoFundMe page at http://www.gofundme.com/z46z2a4 or visit https://www.facebook.com/prayersforjasonfranklin
