Donations sought to help Keylee Latham, burned in ATV accident

(July 28, 2014) – Eleven-year-old Keylee Latham suffered severe burns and injuries in an ATV rollover accident in Royse City July 5, and donations are currently being sought for an upcoming auction to help her family with medical expenses. The family is thankful for the community’s support and continued prayers, and reports that “another milestone is here. After much prayer and a visit to Shriners Hospital in Galveston, we are moving Keylee to Shriners. She still has a long way to go but we are very hopeful about the outcome of the next stage in our journey to recovery with Keylee.”

Auction organizers shared Keylee’s story:

“Keylee was a passenger on a four-person ATV with three other girls. She and her friends had hauled some garbage to the dumpster when they decided to take a ride around the block in the country off Hwy 276 in Royse City. They were approximately 1/2 mile from her friend’s house when they came around a corner that transitioned from dirt/gravel road to asphalt. The driver hit the brake in an effort to retain control when the ATV flipped, trapping Keylee underneath. The other 3 girls were able to get free from the ATV, and made every attempt they could to free Keylee from the crash, but her arm and leg were pinned underneath and they could not lift the heavy ATV. One of the girls said she could not get the safety belt off of Keylee either. Two of the girls ran back toward the house where Keylee’s dad was, when one collapsed in the field due to injuries to her hips and leg. One girl ran to the nearest house she could find. She was able to get a man to come and help. When he arrived at the accident scene he attempted to lift the ATV off of Keylees little body, but the ATV was just too heavy. This is when he decided to run back to his house and get his vehicle. He thought he could hook a chain to the ATV and roll it off of her with his vehicle. While looking at the ATV, determining the safest way to hook to it and roll it off of her, IT EXPLODED! That’s right… THE ATV BURST INTO FLAMES! Little Keylee was still trapped, conscious, scared, screaming for help, and ON FIRE! The man reacted as quickly as he could and decided that the only way to try to save her life would be to ram the ATV with his vehicle to try to get it to roll off of her. So he did. He rammed it 3 times before it rolled off of Keylee. He ran to Keylee, drug her little burning body from the fire, and put the flames out with his bare hands. He then carried her to safety where he waited with her for help. Some firefighters from Southlake Fire department were headed home from Lake Tawakoni when they saw the flames from the ATV and decided to stop and see what was happening and if they could help. They will never forget what they saw that day. A little girl, severely burnt, begging for help. Keylee’s daddy arrived at the scene after the little girl who ran home alerted him that there had been an accident. He arrived to see his baby girl, badly burnt, crying to him “Daddy, I don’t want to die!” He stayed with her, reassuring her that she was going to be okay, unsure himself of whether or not she would make it, until help arrived. Keylee was transported by CareFlite to the Parkland Emergency Department where she was quickly admitted in to their Burn ICU.”

“She has suffered 2nd, 3rd, and some 4th degree burns to 51% of her body, has had to have her big toe on her right foot amputated, and her right arm is broken. The doctors are still unsure if they will have to amputate her feet or even her legs from the knee down. Keylee has already undergone one surgery to amputate her toe and remove all of the burnt skin and tissue from her legs. Keylee is having a very hard time. She is experiencing nightmares, hallucinations, and more pain than imaginable. She remembers every single detail of the accident! Keylee’s daddy is a self-employed heavy machinery mechanic and her mother is a stay at home mom. She has a big sister, and a little brother who are currently staying with their grandparents. They do not have medical insurance and Keylee is expected to remain in the hospital for at least 3 to 4 months. They live in Martins Mill, Tx and the distance from their home to the hospital is approximately 75 miles or greater. Keylee will need many follow-up visits to burn care specialists, physical therapists, plastic surgeons, and psychiatric therapists after her release from Parkland.”