The Raskey's friend, Vickie Tincher of Gore, said the family's van was destroyed in a wreck last week in Galveston, Texas, where son, Kane Swearingen is being treated for burns he received in a July 4 explosion.
Tincher said another family member was driving the van and no one was injured in the wreck.
"Vickie is staying at the Ronald McDonald house, and she and Kane were on their way back to the hospital when the wreck occurred," Tincher said. "Vickie wasn't driving and said she isn't sure what happened. But now she has to have a rental car."
Swearingen, his stepfather, Bill Raskey, and Tincher's son, Jacob, were all burned in an accidental fireworks-fuse explosion on July 4. Swearingen was flown to the Shriners Burn Center in Galveston for treatment for second- and third-degree burns. Bill Raskey was flown to Hillcrest Medical Center in Tulsa for treatment for third-degree burns. Jacob Tincher's burns were not as bad, and he is being treated locally.
Tincher said Bill Raskey has health insurance but Kane does not. The Raskey Benefit Fund has been set up at Armstrong Bank, and donations may be made to the fund at any Armstrong Bank in the area.
Area residents are coming to the Raskey family's aid, and Rainbow Mart in Gore, owned by Jim Smith, will hold a pizza fundraising sale Wednesday and Thursday. Tincher said Smith has pledged all proceeds from the pizza sale to the Raskey Benefit Fund, and the pizza prices will be discounted.
Tincher reported Bill Raskey underwent a skin-graft operation and is now at home in Gore. However, nurses come in each day to scrub and cleanse his burns, and he must return to the Tulsa hospital every three days so doctors may check his progress.
"The nurses scrub the burns every day," Tincher said. "It is very hard on him. They said the scrubbing takes three to four hours."
Tincher said Kane is doing well at the Shriners' hospital. He is undergoing a new treatment, which may put off a skin graft operation. Tincher said Keisha Raskey reported that doctors said they would know Friday if Kane needs skin grants. Doctors said when he was first admitted that Kane might have to undergo numerous operations as he grows, and the operations and treatments may have to continue until he is 18 or when he reaches his full growth.
Tincher reported that Keisha Raskey, "has asked to be kept in everyone's prayers."
The two boys, Kane and Jacob, who are best friends, and Bill Raskey were burned at about 4 p.m. on July 4. Tincher said the Raskey family had stored their fireworks in Bill Raskey's workshop and planned a display that night. Bill Raskey was supervising the two boys, who were setting off smaller fireworks in front of the workshop when the explosion occurred.
Tincher said the cause of the explosion is unknown, but it is suspected that a spark from the smaller fireworks may have hit a reel of fireworks fuses, which was also stored in the workshop. The fuses burned, but the fireworks display was not set off, Tincher said.
