A six-year-old Texas boy has tragically passed away a month after his father was struck and killed by a lightning bolt as they held hands.
Grayson Boggs, 6, was taken off the school bus by his father Matthew, 34, on May 15 when the strike hit them, killing Matthew instantly.
Paramedics rushed Grayson to the hospital and he remained in a critical condition with brain damage for more than a month before his death on June 16.
“Words cannot describe this,” the boy’s aunt wrote on social media. “You fought so hard for it, now you can put my handsome, funny little nephew to rest.”
Grayson was rushed to hospital after the strike and remained in critical condition for weeks until his death on June 16
Pictured: Father Matthew with his two sons Elijah and Grayson, seen in a stroller
The tragic incident happened after Matthew got his sons off the school bus and they walked down the driveway of their family home in Valley Mills, Texas.
Matthew’s mother Angela Boggs heartbreakingly revealed that just before the lightning strike, the father and son expressed their love for each other.
(Matthew had just finished telling Grayson he loved him, he said, ‘I love you friend,’ then lightning fell,” Boggs recounted. KWTX.
“I’ve always taken care of him because he’s the one God gave me,” she added, speaking of Matthew. “Now it’s my responsibility to take care of my grandchildren.”
Grayson was quickly put into a coma after the attack and it was later determined that he had brain damage caused by a lack of oxygen.
Grayson had been taken off a ventilator three days before his death after doctors determined his condition would not improve
Relatives said he initially showed signs of improvement, including breathing on his own and being taken off the donor list
The boy spent more than a month in hospital after the strike. He is pictured with his cousin Harley (left), great-grandmother Rose (center), and mother Kayla (right)
While his devastated family prayed for recovery, they said the little boy has shown signs of improvement in recent weeks, including breathing on his own and being taken off the donor list.
But on Tuesday, nearly a month after the lightning strike, doctors informed his heartbroken family that his condition would not improve, and it was decided to take him off a ventilator.
He was placed in palliative care a day later, before passing away at around 5 a.m. on June 16.
The day before his death, his family had an update on his condition on a GoFundMe established to help pay for funeral expenses.
“It has been a month since disaster struck this family,” the post read. “The strength this family has shown is inspiring. Grayson still persists, but has comfort concerns.
“Please pray that we keep him comfortable at this time and pray for healing for the family. We may not know what God’s plan is, but we know he’s wrapped his arms around Grayson right now.”
His mother Kayla announced the tragic news of her son’s death on Facebook
The six-year-old had been in critical condition for more than a month before his tragic death
Pictured: Angela Boggs (left) and grandson Elijah Boggs speaking after the strike
Grayson’s brother Elijah, who was only three feet away when the lightning struck his father and brother, recalled in poignant detail the moments after the impact struck.
‘I was very scared. I rolled Grayson over and he smiled a little,” he said.
“I thought they were just joking, but when I rolled my dad, the middle of his head was bleeding and his face was already purple.”
When the first emergency services arrived on the scene, both father and son were unresponsive. Both reportedly lost their shoes due to the intensity of the strike.
While Matthew was pronounced dead soon after, desperate efforts to resuscitate Grayson caused him to rush to Baylor Scott & White McLane Children’s Medical Center in Waco, Texas.
Doctors determined he was fine from the neck down, but they found he had neurological problems and had suffered a severe anoxic brain injury.
Elijah (right) was just feet from the lightning strike that killed his brother Grayson (left) and father last month
Pictured: Matthew with his wife Kayla and two of their children Elijah and Nevaeh
Relatives said tributes and well-wishes poured in from around the world as the boy battled in a coma.
But when doctors told the family that Grayson’s condition would not improve, it was decided to take him off his ventilator. He died three days later.
Lightning strikes are more frequent and deadly in the southeastern states, including Texas, according to the CDC.
From 2006 to 2021, only five states (Alaska, Delaware, Hawaii, New Hampshire, Washington) and the US Virgin Islands have not reported any deaths from lightning strikes.
Texas was second highest in the number of deaths in that period, with 36 deaths, Florida took the top spot with 79 deaths.