Matthew Boggs, 34, was walking his two sons – Grayson Boggs, 6, and Elijah Boggs, 11 – home from the bus stop when he was struck by lightning. While Elijah was unharmed, his father died immediately and his younger brother, who was holding Matthew’s hand when it happened, suffered serious injuries.
The incident was revealed by the Bosque County Sheriff’s Office and confirmed by Stephanie Burris, a cousin of Matthew and the boys. Burris created a GoFundMe account to help the family cover funeral arrangements (for Matthew) and ongoing medical costs (for Grayson, who is currently fighting for his life).
The incident occurred at around 5:10 p.m. on Monday (May 15) – just as Matthew was walking down the driveway after walking Grayson and Elijah home from the bus stop. Matthew was pronounced dead on the scene, while Grayson was ‘unresponsive, but breathing’ – the older brother, Elijah, witnessed it all.
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Adding to the heartbreak, Matthew’s mother, Angela Boggs, revealed that the last four words Matthew said to his 6-year-old son were ‘I love you buddy’ – the lightning struck right as he was saying it. Grayson was immediately sent to Baylor Scott & White McLane Children’s Medical Center in Temple, Texas.
At the time, doctors were most concerned with the little boy’s brain, heart, lungs, and kidneys – he was also having frequent seizures. Doctors now have Grayson hooked up to a ventilator as they continue their treatment. Stephanie Burris has continued to provide updates on his health over the past few days.
According to the GoFundMe page, an MRI discovered that Grayson has ‘damage to his frontal lobe and his optic nerve.’ He suffered small setbacks with his ventilator and doctors grew concerned of his kidneys, but his heart appeared to be fine and his kidney status had improved recently as he continued to recover.
On May 19, Burris had a somber update for those following Grayson’s story. While his major organs were doing well, they discovered he suffered a ‘major anoxic brain injury’ that could potentially rob him of the ability to walk, talk, eat, and/or see in the future – either way, he’ll require constant care and attention.
What Are the Chances of Being Struck By Lightning?
According to the National Weather Service, the chances of being struck by lightning in the United States during one’s lifetime are 1 in 15,300 – the odds of being struck in a given year are 1 in 1.2 million. About 270 people are struck by lightning every year in the US and only about 30 of them die from the strike.
Unfortunately for the Boggs’ family, Matthew Boggs was one of those who succumbed to the tragedy and, while his 6-year-old son survived the strike, he’s still fighting for his life and remains unresponsive in the hospital. Now, the family is asking for everyone’s help as they begin the grieving/recovery process.
“Please, if you could do one more thing for this most gracious family, and share the Go Fund Me on your social media, or with friends and family. Thank you again for your continued prayers for God to work a miracle on Grayson’s brain and bring him back to us,” Stephanie Burris wrote on the GoFundMe page.
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According to Burris, a funeral service for Matthew Boggs is being held on Saturday, May 20 at Bosque County Cowboy Church, while a separate burial service in Indianapolis, Indiana will follow at a later date. As for Grayson, she shared a photo of him with his eyes open, but said he remained unresponsive.
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