SWHS graduate dies after accident at pool

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August 25, 2009

By TRICIA NEAL, Staff Writer The Commonwealth Journal Tue Aug 25, 2009, 09:41 PM EDT

Somerset — “Everyone should love their children with all their heart. You never know when they’ll be taken away.”

Grieving mother Gale Burris offered those wise words yesterday, less than 24 hours after the sudden death of her son, 22-year-old Thomas Nathan Burris of Bronston, at the University of Kentucky Medical Center in Lexington.

Burris died Monday, more than a week after he was injured in a swimming pool accident at his girlfriend’s home on Slavey Lane.

Thomas’ sister, Heather Burris, said Thomas and his friends were playing around the sand-bottomed pool in the early morning hours of August 15 when he attempted to flip into the pool.

“He slipped and went head first into the water,” Heather said.

When Thomas came to the water’s surface, he was floating face-down.

“His friends thought he was joking around,” Heather said.

But when they rolled him onto his back, he told them, “Help me. I think I broke my neck.”

Thomas’ friends stabilized him in the pool while they waited for emergency personnel to arrive.

He was eventually airlifted to the UK Medical Center.

“When they were getting ready to airlift him, he said, ‘I’m sorry, Mom. I’m so scared,’” Gale said.

Thomas endured a four hour surgery on his broken neck.

“He was paralyzed from the chest down from swelling around his spine,” Gale said.

“They thought he would regain some feeling.”

By Monday, doctors thought Thomas’ condition was improving, and they decided to perform a tracheotomy so he could breathe without the help of a respirator.

“Two hours after the surgery, his tracheotomy dislodged,” Gale said.

“It blocked his airway, and he went into cardiac arrest.”

Thomas’ father, Bob Burris, said medical staff at the hospital told them they needed to leave the room so they could give Thomas a bath.

“That was the last time we saw him alive,” Bob said.

“It dislodged when they turned him over for the bath.”

According to a report from the Fayette County Coroner’s Office, Thomas was pronounced dead “after suffering complications following a surgical procedure.”

The death is being investigated as accidental.

Thomas, a 2005 Southwestern High School graduate, had attended Pikeville College for two years, and was most recently a student at Somerset Community College.

“He was a good kid,” his mother said.

“He was liked by everyone. ... He knew a lot of people.”

Thomas was an avid bowler, and had competed at the national level.

The Burris family says Thomas’ girlfriend, Casie Foster, is “taking it hard.”

“She’s a sweet girl,” Gale said. “She would have made a wonderful daughter-in-law.”

A Facebook group called “Prayers for Thomas Burris” was created by a family friend shortly after he was hospitalized. More than 500 individuals had joined the group in the days following his accident.

Funeral arrangements are pending at Lake Cumberland Funeral Home. Gale Burris said she expects visitation for her son to be held Friday evening, with a funeral on Saturday.

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