The 6-year-old boy from Connecticut who was burned by an 8-year-old bully was honored with a parade last Thursday. Dominick Krankall hung a “Thank You” sign on his hospital window as law enforcement officers gather in support to cheer him up while in recovery.
According to Fox News, Krankall watched the parade of heroes from the window of his hospital room as police officers along with Mayor Joseph Ganim joined the large crowd in honor of his bravery and to help boost his spirits. The boy’s family and friends stood outside the Bridgeport Hospital as the boy watched the fanfare below in between the bandages wrapped on his face.
The young boy is currently undergoing treatment for the severe burns on his face and body. His 20-year-old sister, Kayla Deegan, spoke with reporters and said her brother is slowly recovering in the hospital and is faced with numerous challenges as he struggles to cope with the injuries that have drastically changed the quality of his life.
"He can barely sleep, he can barely eat, he can barely talk. It’s just not fair, just seeing him like that makes me want to break down,” Deegan said, citing how her younger sibling could have easily been burned to death alive. “It’s tough, it’s really heartbreaking to see him not being able to eat. Sipping soup through a straw is not anything a kid should have to go through. It’s hard to talk about it.”
She also mentioned that their 8-year-old neighbor allegedly has a history of picking on her brother and hurting him several times with the recent one resulting in severe injuries from an incident that took place while he was playing in the yard. The bully allegedly threw a tennis ball at him which was doused in gasoline and lit on fire.
Laura Giacobbe, the mother of the bully has denied these allegations in a statement, saying her son did not attack Krankall. She has urged people to wait for the results and findings from the ongoing investigation being conducted by the police. “We are working with authorities to determine what occurred, and we fully support their investigation,” she said.
"We hope concerned people will wait before drawing conclusions or making assumptions about what happened until officials have made their determinations,” she added.
The legal representative for Krankall’s family, Francis DiScala, noted an existing conflict between the two neighboring families. “When a child gets burned in the face, there is a liability, and we will be sure to do the best we can,” DiScalia said without going any further to explain.
Meanwhile, an online fundraising campaign was set up for Krankall, in the hopes of raising $50,000 to cover for his medical bills. So far the fundraiser has seen an outpouring of donations and has raised over $500,000.
