Four-year-old CJ Sullivan is in Pediatric ICU at St. Francis Hospital in Tulsa. He was life-flighted there Monday afternoon when his mother and her boyfriend brought him into a Heavener health clinic with second and third degree burns.
The LeFlore County District Attorney says those burns happened two and a half days earlier. CJ's father, Joe Sullivan, was at home when a social worker called to tell him something was wrong.
"She talked to my mom for a minute and my mom said, "Okay we'll be there." Before she even hung up the phone, I had changed clothes and was out the door, asking "where am I going?" said Sullivan.
Sullivan drove to Tulsa, where he found CJ in intensive care with severe burns on his chest, bottom, and genitals"I got there and I lost it. It was more than I could stand," he said.
Sullivan says despite the severity, CJ is staying brave."He's handling it a whole lot better than I did. He's handling it a whole lot better than I could see anybody handling it. If it were me, I would be jumping up and down screaming "give me morphine!" But he's real calm."
The boy's mother, 27 year old Jessica Parker and her boyfriend, 25 year old Cecil Hairrell, are facing child abuse charges while the district attorney tries to figure out exactly what happened. But Sullivan says these charges just aren't enough."They ought to get the same treatment they gave my son, just ten-fold and on a daily basis," he said.
Sullivan says Hairrell has a history of abuse and wasn't supposed to be around CJ and his 7-year-old brother. He says he doesn't believe Parker's story that CJ was burned in the bathtub.
"The story I heard at court was he turned the hot water on and he did it to himself. But he didn't have any burns on his hands or feet. How can you do that and only get it on your butt and chest? It looks to me like it was poured on him," said Sullivan.
Parker and Hairrell are both still in the LeFlore County Jail Bond for each has been set at $50,000.
Sullivan says CJ will be in the hospital for at least a month and have to have at least four skin grafts, the first of which will take place on Monday.
The LeFlore County District Attorney says those burns happened two and a half days earlier. CJ's father, Joe Sullivan, was at home when a social worker called to tell him something was wrong.
"She talked to my mom for a minute and my mom said, "Okay we'll be there." Before she even hung up the phone, I had changed clothes and was out the door, asking "where am I going?" said Sullivan.
Sullivan drove to Tulsa, where he found CJ in intensive care with severe burns on his chest, bottom, and genitals"I got there and I lost it. It was more than I could stand," he said.
Sullivan says despite the severity, CJ is staying brave."He's handling it a whole lot better than I did. He's handling it a whole lot better than I could see anybody handling it. If it were me, I would be jumping up and down screaming "give me morphine!" But he's real calm."
The boy's mother, 27 year old Jessica Parker and her boyfriend, 25 year old Cecil Hairrell, are facing child abuse charges while the district attorney tries to figure out exactly what happened. But Sullivan says these charges just aren't enough."They ought to get the same treatment they gave my son, just ten-fold and on a daily basis," he said.
Sullivan says Hairrell has a history of abuse and wasn't supposed to be around CJ and his 7-year-old brother. He says he doesn't believe Parker's story that CJ was burned in the bathtub.
"The story I heard at court was he turned the hot water on and he did it to himself. But he didn't have any burns on his hands or feet. How can you do that and only get it on your butt and chest? It looks to me like it was poured on him," said Sullivan.
Parker and Hairrell are both still in the LeFlore County Jail Bond for each has been set at $50,000.
Sullivan says CJ will be in the hospital for at least a month and have to have at least four skin grafts, the first of which will take place on Monday.
