The Michigan State Attorney General announced on Tuesday (March 11th) that four individuals have been arrested in connection with the explosion of a hyperbaric oxygen chamber at an alternative healthcare facility earlier this year, resulting in the death of a 5-year-old boy. Three of the individuals are facing charges of second-degree murder. Information on the internet suggests that the mother of the child may be of Chinese descent.
The boy, named Thomas Cooper, was undergoing hyperbaric oxygen therapy for attention deficit disorder and sleep apnea at The Oxford Center in Detroit on January 31st when the chamber he was using suddenly exploded, causing fatal burns that led to his death.
His mother, Annie Cooper, was present next to the hyperbaric chamber at the time of the incident and suffered serious burns while trying to save her son.
The four individuals involved were arrested on Monday, with three of them being charged with second-degree murder.
Michigan’s Attorney General Dana Nessel stated at a press conference on Tuesday, “A spark seemed to ignite a fire that took Thomas’s life in a matter of seconds.”
Nessel alleged that The Oxford Center completely disregarded safety protocols and prioritized profit over the safety of their clients, leading to this tragic event.
The founder and CEO of The Oxford Center, 58-year-old Tamela Peterson, is charged with second-degree murder. The center’s chief manager, 65-year-old Gary Marken, and safety manager, 64-year-old Gary Mosteller, are facing charges of second-degree murder and involuntary manslaughter. The hyperbaric chamber operator at the time of Thomas’s death, 60-year-old Aleta Moffitt, is charged with involuntary manslaughter and providing false medical information on medical records.
All four individuals were summoned for questioning in the Troy District Court later on Tuesday.
Hyperbaric oxygen therapy involves patients inhaling 100% oxygen in a pressurized chamber. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved this therapy for treating 13 conditions, including severe burns, decompression sickness, and non-healing wounds, but not the two conditions Cooper was undergoing treatment for when the chamber exploded.
Nessel accused The Oxford Center of routinely operating sensitive and potentially deadly hyperbaric chambers that exceeded their expected lifespan without adhering to crucial safety measures and practices recommended by medical and technical professionals.
After the tragedy, The Oxford Center released a statement expressing that they have been providing this treatment for over 15 years, and they are unsure why such an event occurred. They pledged full cooperation with all ongoing investigations.
An online fundraising post on GoFundMe mentioned that Cooper had asked for a “red envelope” as his New Year’s gift before his untimely death. He placed it under his pillow and declared that he would have the best luck ever.
The message also mentioned that the day Cooper passed away was supposed to be the day he planned to share the red envelope with his younger brother.