Dareen Willis-Oliver here. I'm the one who has been keeping people abreast on the situation involving young eleven-year-old burn victim, Caden Drew Bollinger, whom, as you know by now, was purposely set ablaze by some teenaged thugs because "they had nothing better to do than to bring malicious harm to a defenseless little child".
The child already has been given a hard road to walk on in life: he was born severely disabled with cerebral palsy: he couldn't walk or talk.
I guess these kids who did this to him felt that he had no feelings, so they purposely did this to him. It was a horrible crime that didn't have to happen; questions are still being raised three months later since this happened.
Well, here is another update, regarding both the teenagers and Caden. Here goes:
Caden is starting to come around, but is still fighting infection, incredible pain, and the shock of so many surgeries/burn treatments. He is still in critical condition; any number of things can happen that could kill him: infection. Botched treatments. Seizures. Gangrene. So far, none of that has happened, but he still faces a very long, hard, painful recovery; it will be months before he is deemed well enough to leave the hospital.
He will probably need more surgeries in the years ahead: he was burned over 80 percent of his body. He will be heavily scarred for the rest of his life -- that is, if he lives that long.
I continue to see him, and to see his parents, Julie and Charlie, on a regular basis, here at "Vandy" (Vanderbilt Children's Hospital). They keep me posted on what is going on with their son, and I then let my friends what is going on via computer, so they can continue with their prayer chain.
Churches across the metro Nashville area continue to place young Caden and his family on their prayer lists, and the parishoners from these churches continue to lift them up as well. So there are a lot of prayers going to Heaven on Caden's behalf.
This is probably why he is still here, because God must have plans for this special young man.
There is no other way I can explain it.
As for the teenagers who did this to him -- Vincent Orrijo, 17, Colt Wiggins, 16, and 19-year-old d'Onte Rashad Jackson --, they continue to spend their time in detention, where they are awaiting their sentencing. They are looking at possible jail time, probably as much as fifteen to twenty years. They could be charged with premeditated murder. In any event, these young men are in trouble, serious trouble.
It seems funny, but Charlie, Caden's daddy, seemingly abandoned his wife and family after it was discovered that Caden was born disabled, yet in the past two months, he's come to see his son. I think he is having second thoughts about what he's done, and he's doing everything he can to try to make amends. That is a very commendable thing for Charlie to do, but I think deep down inside, he feels nothing but remorse for what he's put his family through.
Maybe God is orchestrating this, I don't know; but I have been praying for this family ever since this happened. I just hope something good can come out of this tragedy, and I pray that God pulls the miracle that Caden so desperately needs to beat this thing. What a wonderful thing that would be!
I plan on seeing Caden today at the hospital; I really have nothing planned, now that the holiday hustle-and-bustle is finally overwith. I will keep you up to date on a regular basis, so you know exactly what is going on. In the meantime, please continue to lift young Caden, his mother Julie, his dad Charlie, and his brother and sister Eagan and Ashlynn, in your prayers; they need them as much as Caden does! Thank you in advance!
God bless and thanks for caring!
~As always, Dareen.
*To be continued.*
