A Texas boy died Friday more than a month after lighting struck him and his dad as they walked home from the bus stop. Grayson Boggs, 6, and his father, 34-year-old Matthew Boggs, were holding hands on their driveway in Valley Hills when the accident occurred. Matthew died instantly, and Grayson was rushed to Baylor Scott & White McLane Children's Medical Center in Temple.
Although the boy was gravely injured, the family hoped Grayson would recover. Sadly, the young boy did not get better. Eventually, doctors informed his family that his condition would not improve, and he was removed from his ventilator on June 13. He died just three days later.
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At first, witnesses thought Matthew and Grayson Boggs were joking.
Matthew had walked to get his sons Grayson, and Elijah, 11, from the bus stop just after 5 p.m. May 15. Grayson and Matthew separated from Elijah at the edge of the driveway, and suddenly thunder clapped, and lightning struck.
Elijah told KWTX that he ran to his dad and brother but didn't initially realize what had happened.
"I was really scared. I rolled Grayson over and he was kind of smiling a little bit," he told the news outlet. "I thought they were just joking, but when I rolled my dad over the middle of his head was bleeding and his face was already purple."
Witnesses and first responders rushed to help.
Matthew's mother, Angela Boggs, saw the horrific accident and rushed to help her son and grandson. While they waited for emergency personnel to arrive, family and neighbors attempted life-saving measures.
Crews rushed an unresponsive Grayson to the hospital. KWTX reported in May that Grayson appeared to be fine from the neck down, but doctors were waiting to determine whether there was brain damage.
Grayson's prognosis was grim early on.
A family friend created a GoFundMe account for the Boggs family and shared updates about Grayson for more than a month. Early on, doctors told loved ones that it was unclear whether he would wake up and that he was heavily sedated and breathing with the help of a ventilator.
Stephanie Burris posted an update about Grayson's condition to the site on May 19.
"Grayson has sustained a major anoxic brain injury. The doctors said that Grayson may not walk, talk, eat, or possibly see again," the update reads. "What that means for the family, is that when Grayson gets to come home, he will be total care with frequent appointments and therapies."
His family did not give up hope.
Burris continually updated the site with news on Grayson's condition and explained changes in his care from ventilators to feeding tubes. The boy remained stable as doctors tried to determine what his future would look like. His medical team met with the family on June 6 and gave heartbreaking news.
"Today we had a care conference with Grayson's healthcare team. The doctors told us, that the state Grayson is in, is how he will remain for the rest of his life," Burris wrote.
She explained that Grayson's mom, Kayla, would have to make difficult decisions about her son's future.
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The family made the heartbreaking decision to take Grayson off the ventilator.
Kayla signed paperwork to make Grayson an organ donor and removed the ventilator on June 13, according to the fundraising page. Family and friends visited the little boy and shared final moments with him.
"Please just 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 has his arms wrapped around Grayson at this time," Burris wrote in a photo caption on Thursday.
Grayson died the following day. The GoFundMe page has raised more than $102,000. Family and friends have shared their love for the Boggs family.
"I'm soo sorry. As a father, this is heartbreaking, but just know we stand beside you ready to help in any way we can," one comment reads.
"I am so sorry for your losses. May God, family, friends, and memories provide you comfort through this terrible tragedy," someone else wrote.
