North Texas teen fighting for her life after boy throws pan of gas on fire, mother says
JACKSBORO, Texas - A teenage girl from Jacksboro is fighting for her life after a gathering over the holiday break quickly turned dangerous.
17-year-old Madison Lewis is in the hospital after suffering severe burns over 90 percent of her body.
"There's nothing in the world more that I want and need than for my baby girl to be okay and to live a life. She's 17 years old," said Ericca Hammond, Madison's mother from her daughter's room at Parkland Hospital.
Two weeks ago, at the start of holiday break, Madison was with friends, gathered around a burn barrel.
Hammond says a boy threw something into the fire.
"I thought it was a cup at first, but now I found out that it was an actual pan full of gasoline into the barrel, and they say that it just exploded and just went in her direction," said Hammond. "It was devastating. Completely burned her whole body."
Lewis is a senior at Jacksboro High School.
She has been unresponsive since the incident, with multiple surgeries over the holiday season.
"This is the first year since I've been a mom that I didn't wrap one Christmas gift. Not one," said Hammond.
Madison's mother has traveled back and forth from Jacksboro to Dallas and received help from the Ronald McDonald House.
"Which is wonderful. They have just been the best to me and to my family. You know, just open arms and hugs and prayers and so much compassion that it just filled my heart full of love," Hammond said.
Hammond told us she is thankful for the support from her community and the doctors and nurses at Parkland.
Her only focus now is to pray that her daughter shows movement soon.
"She's supposed to graduate in May and go to college in August, but she has so much more to do out here. That's why. I mean, she's a warrior. She is a fighter," said Hammond. "That's what we need the most right now is prayers and for her healing and her poor body."
Lewis was taken off of her pain medication today to see if she could become responsive.
FOX 4 is told Madison had a fourth successful surgery on Tuesday and that many more are to come.