My son was trapped in a fire

On May 19, 2023 at 11 pm, while home alone, my 27 year old son Tristan was trapped in his garage while it was on fire and almost lost his life. Only with sure will, determination, and the power of God he survived. It truly is a miracle he's with us today.

After hearing a noise in the garage he went to investigate. When he opened the door he saw a small fire on the garage floor. Without a second thought he ran to it to try to stomp it out not considering he was barefoot. Not realizing there was oil on the floor he slipped and fell into the fire causing his feet to catch on fire. When he tried to stand up he would slip on the oil and fall again which was making the fire quickly spread not only in the garage but spread on his body. Trying to get back to the door he fell again this time into the door which closed shut and locked. The garage quickly filled up with smoke and flames which then burned the cord for the emergency release on the garage door opener. There was only one way left out and that was to go into the flames to a window on the opposite wall. It consisted of glass panes, each only measuring 1.5' x 1' and all enclosed in individual metal frames. He managed to break the glass with his bare hands, he kicked with his bare feet and somehow squeezed his body through that small opening to avoid being burned alive. In the process he sustained several deep lacerations; ultimately severing an artery in his arm, tendons in his wrist, another cut on his knee that went through to the joint, and another on his ankle. Both hands and feet suffered third degree burns. Once he made it out of the fire it took paramedics 11 minutes to get to him They found him laying on the sidewalk unconscious with substantial blood loss and determined that he only had about another minute to live. His lungs were damaged from breathing in fire and smoke and was intubated on the scene. He's currently in the trauma center burn unit in Orlando, in intensive care. He undergoes daily cleaning wound care for the burns, strict infection control and will have many months of painful physical therapy.

After discharging from the Army three years ago, Tristan moved to Orlando to attend M.M.I. to become a motorcycle mechanic. Finishing his schooling, he was employed doing what he loves, repairing motorcycles. However his wrist that was so damaged from the lacerations and burns is his dominant hand; the one he uses to be a mechanic.

Tristan did not have any health insurance and has a very long, painful, and expensive road to recovery. This fire is not being covered under the insurance policy the home owner had and he lost his processions, including his motorcycle and some tools that were in the garage. He can't return there to live and won't be able to return to work for a while so there are many unknowns in his foreseeable future.

As his mother, I'm making a desperate plea for help. The cost to keep him alive and future surgeries and physical therapy he will need is staggering.

I close my eyes and try to envision him fighting to survive so he wouldn't be burned alive. The strength and power he had to fight his way out of that garage so he could live another day; so I wouldn't have to hold, yet another funeral for one of my sons, brings me to my knees. To say he is my hero doesn't begin to adequately describe how I feel about him. He didn't give up and I don't know if I would have had that type of strength.

Please keep my boy in your thoughts and prayers. Thank you so much!

Pam~