The parents of a 5-year-old boy are heartbroken after he was killed in a hyperbaric chamber explosion last month.
According to the family’s attorney, James Harrington, Thomas Cooper was undergoing hyperbaric oxygen therapy for ADHD and a sleep disorder at an alternative medicine facility in Detroit when the tragic incident occurred on January 31.
As soon as the fire broke out, Thomas’s mother, Annie Cooper, desperately tried to rescue him. She suffered severe burns on her arms while attempting to pull him from the flames but was ultimately unsuccessful.
The fire department responded within minutes after receiving a call around 8 a.m. on Friday.
Firefighters quickly extinguished the flames, but the child had already passed away.
Lt. Keith Young of the Troy Fire Department explained that the hyperbaric chamber contained 100% oxygen in a pressurized environment, making it highly combustible.
The Oxford Center, which operates two locations, initially declined to comment on the circumstances surrounding the boy’s death.
Later, they released a statement emphasizing that patient safety is their top priority and that nothing like this had ever happened in their 15 years of providing the treatment.
Their Troy facility has since shut down as authorities continue investigating the fatal explosion. A spokesperson for the Troy police said there are no updates at this time, and no charges have been filed.
What Is Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy?
Hyperbaric oxygen therapy is a medical treatment used for conditions like carbon monoxide poisoning, decompression sickness, and certain wounds and burns.
During treatment, patients breathe 100% pure oxygen inside a hyperbaric chamber, which helps increase oxygen delivery to the lungs.
In recent years, many unaccredited facilities, such as wellness centers and spas, have begun promoting hyperbaric therapy for other health issues, including ADHD, sleep apnea, and even autism.
However, there is no scientific evidence to support these claims, and the FDA does not recognize hyperbaric therapy as a treatment for these conditions.
The website also includes a warning that hyperbaric oxygen therapy is not a proven cure for autism, cancer, Alzheimer’s disease, or Lyme disease.
Attorney James Harrington described 5-year-old Thomas Cooper as a “sweet child” who loved playing with his little brother. He said Thomas’s parents had hoped the hyperbaric therapy at the Oxford facility would help with his conditions.
While Harrington acknowledged the treatment “wasn’t some kind of lifesaving measure,” he said Thomas’s mother pursued it in hopes of improving her son’s health.
The family, who lives in Royal Oak, Michigan, plans to sue the alternative medicine facility to prevent similar tragedies in the future.
Facility Has Faced Legal Troubles Before
In 2018, the Oxford Center faced backlash after it was discovered that a convicted felon had been hired at its Brighton location.
From 2018 to 2021, 38-year-old Kimberly Coden worked as the director of services, designing programs for children with autism.
However, it later came to light that she had completely fabricated her credentials, even using a legitimate health professional’s certification number as part of her fraud scheme.
An investigation revealed that Coden already had a criminal record for larceny and identity theft. She had stolen thousands of dollars, jewelry, and had even used her own mother’s identity to open credit cards.
Despite this, the Oxford Center claimed it was unaware of her felony convictions.
It wasn’t until local media began investigating the case in 2021 that Coden resigned. Around the same time, the facility changed its name from Oxford Recovery Center to Oxford Center.
