6-Year-Old Boy Who Was Burned With Flaming Tennis Ball By Bully Neighbor Returns Home From Hospital

Dominick Krankall, the 6-year-old boy who was burned by a flaming tennis ball thrown by an older neighborhood bully was released from the hospital on Monday. The boy, who suffered severe burn injuries to his face, was escorted back to his home in Bridgeport, Connecticut by a State Trooper.

According to the New York Post, Krankall was sporting the widest grin on his face and relieved of his full gauze covering on his face. He was happy to pose for photos which were later posted to the GoFundMe page set up to help pay for his hospital and aftercare expenses. The boy’s 20-year-old sister, Kayla Deegan said her brother will be getting a visit from a nurse to help with his recovery.

“We are beyond grateful to have our Dom back, " she said.

The young boy was released from the hospital’s burn unit much earlier than his family had expected. Prior to his release, many witnessed heartbreaking photos of him posted by his family. His painful 8-day ordeal in the hospital had Krankall eating from a straw while his face was wrapped in gauze bandages.

“Dominick is beyond happy to be with his family again. He is on the road to recovery but all the love, support, and prayers from all of you have put a major part into this,” Deegan wrote to her brother’s generous donors.

The fundraiser had originally aimed for a fund goal of $50,000 but the outpouring of donations from people who were moved by the boy’s situation enabled the fund campaign to reach over $500,000. The family hopes to find a new home where the boy can safely grow up in a better neighborhood.

This time around, Krankall and his family no longer have to worry about having to deal with the neighborhood bully who has a history of picking on the young boy. Just two months prior to this recent incident, Krankall was playing with the bully while under the bully’s mother’s supervision when he was pushed into a wall causing him to fall to the floor. Deegan said the older boy’s mother refused to admit her child had done it.

This latest incident has the police conducting an investigation to get the facts straight as to how Krankall ended up with severe burns. His sister relayed the incident saying the 8-year-old neighbor boy managed to break into a nearby shed and doused a tennis ball in gasoline then lit it on fire. He then lured Krankall to come nearer and threw the burning ball at him.

“What he did was pour gasoline on a tennis ball, took a lighter, lit it up, and just chucked it right at my brother’s face — and then ran away from him and watched him burn,” Deegan said.

The older boy’s mother refused to make any further comments and urged people to refrain from making assumptions before the facts have been laid out by the investigation.