NEED TO KNOW
- Ashtyn Pitts was sleeping in his family’s Jena, La., home with his tablet charging on his bed near his head on Oct. 12 when his metal necklace got entangled in the cord and a fire sparked
- “The only way I know how to explain it is that it was a freak accident,” his mom, Lauren Morrow, told NBC affiliate WDSU
- “It was like this loud bang, and then I woke up, and then I started shaking, and I was screaming ‘Help,’ ” Ashtyn said
Earlier this month, a 9-year-old boy woke up in the middle of the night to his tablet charger somehow on fire around his neck, his family says.
Ashtyn Pitts was sleeping in his family’s Jena, La., home with his tablet charging on his bed near his head on Oct. 12, mom Lauren Morrow tells PEOPLE, when around 5 a.m., his metal necklace got entangled in the cord and a fire sparked on his neck.
“The only way I know how to explain it is that it was a freak accident,” Morrow told NBC affiliate WDSU.
“It was like this loud bang, and then I woke up, and then I started shaking, and I was screaming ‘Help,’ ” Ashtyn told WDSU adding that he and his brother ran to their parents, Morrow and Christopher Johnson, for help.
The boys initially believed that a stranger was in their home, Morrow said.
Explaining the incident, she told WDSU that Ashtyn’s necklace “heated up tremendously, which caused severe burns, and he was electrocuted.”
Photos from the family show the boy with burn injuries to his face and neck.
Ashtyn Pitts.
Lauren Morrow
The family went to a hospital in Shreveport, La., where Ashtyn received treatment in the burn unit and pediatric intensive care unit.
Morrow said her son’s injuries “hit me hard, because in all reality, we could be planning a funeral right now,” according to WDSU.
She tells PEOPLE now that “to say I was terrified is an understatement. I can’t even explain the emotions I felt and the nightmares I’m still having because of this.”
“Nothing but God saved us,” she says.
Ashtyn Pitts.
Lauren Morrow
Morrow says that Ashtyn has recently returned to school, “which is great,” adding: “He was so excited to get back to his friends and teachers.”
However, she says that he is still grappling with panic and trauma from the incident.
“But he is healing and we are working on healing his mental state,” his mom says.
The National Fire Protection Association recommends that devices not be charged under a pillow, or on a bed or couch.
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“We just want to share his story for awareness in hopes that it will potentially save lives,” Morrow says. “Please let this be a lesson to everyone.”
