Khai’Lee Sampson is a 7-year-old child that suffers from severe cerebral palsy caused by an asthma attack when he was 18 months old that left him without oxygen for 45 minutes. A few weeks ago, his house was burned down during the Baltimore riots, destroying all of his medical equipment that keeps him alive.
“They took everything from my child,” the boy’s mother, Laporsha Lawson, told The Washington Post.
The Post listed the equipment:
The wheelchair customized for Khai’Lee’s small body, the back brace that helps him sit upright, the machine that pumps oxygen into his lungs when he stops breathing at night — all were destroyed. So were the supplies for his feeding tube, his clothes, even his new swing.
The early morning fire that destroyed the family’s home was started next door at a liquor store. The flames spread to the house, causing the roof to eventually collapse. It is now condemned.
“Everybody wants justice for Freddie Gray. But what about justice for Khai’Lee?” Lawsom said, feeling “betrayed by her neighborhood.”
It is reported that Lawson and Khai’Lee are living with her parents until they find another rental house. Help and donations have been pouring in from schools, centers, and neighbors, as well as the boy’s father and other relatives.
Fundraisers online have surpassed $21,000, but that amount won’t cover all of Khai’Lee’s medical needs. Without a wheelchair, the 40-pound boy has to be carried around. “It’s hard to carry him,” Lawson said. “But I’m his mom. This is what I do.”
The mother hopes she can get back into the home to see if anything is salvageable.
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