A Prescott Valley woman died after she suffered “catastrophic burns and injuries” on Oct. 4. Now her family is fundraising for her funeral services.
Prescott Valley police officers and Central Arizona firefighters responded to a 911 call on Sept. 24 to Tammy Dodson’s home regarding a possible burn victim, a police news release stated.
First responders found Dodson in the backyard with serious injuries, the release said. She was flown to the Arizona Burn Center at Valleywise Health in Phoenix, Kristine Valentine, Dodson’s niece, said.
Dodson, 58, was a certified nurse assistant who recently worked at the Veterans Affairs health care system, Valentine said. She was raised in Palmdale, California, and lived in Arizona for nearly 40 years.
Valentine
said a first responder on scene told the family that Dodson was unable to speak from the pain.
She said she learned Dodson’s boyfriend said he poured gasoline onto their firepit, and that the can ignited and flew out of his hand. The gas can or part of it landed on the neighbor’s roof, she said.
Dodson’s boyfriend did not suffer severe burns and did not seek medical attention that night, Valentine said.
Prescott Valley police stated the incident was under investigation. The department did not respond to a request for comment regarding the investigation.
Valentine shared her experience because she didn’t want “Tammy’s story to become just another story about a woman who died after a fire.”
So ‘critically ill’
During the next 10 days, Dodson fought “so hard,” Valentine said. Family flew in from Alaska, California and Colorado to be by her side as they waited for her condition to improve.
Dodson had burns on 53% of her body, had multiple surgeries and doctors had begun skin grafting to treat her burns, Valentine said.
She was intubated, on a ventilator, not awake and “so critically ill,” but the family “held on to hope,” the niece said.
An infection turned the tide in Dodson’s recovery, and doctors explained what her quality of life would be, she said.
Doctors told family members that if Dodson survived, she would face countless surgeries for months, the loss of multiple limbs and years of rehabilitation, Valentine described.
Ultimately, the family decided to stop life-sustaining treatment.
“She fought hard for nearly 10 days, and our family fought right alongside her until we couldn’t ask her to fight anymore,” she said.
Dodson was ‘so lively’
Dodson leaves behind a son, daughter and three grandchildren who are ages 3 to 13. She also had a Chihuahua pet who was her “life,” whom the family has taken in, Valentine said.
She was deeply loved and spent her career caring for others as a CNA, Valentine said.
“She was so lively, and anytime we would get together, she was upbeat,” she said.
Dodson was always dancing and singing, Valentine said.
A GoFundMe fundraiser was organized to help pay for Dodson’s celebration of life, medical bills and other expenses that have come with “losing her so suddenly and tragically,” the description read.
The fundraiser had raised about $2,500 as of the afternoon of Oct. 9.
“I just remember her making everybody feel so loved and alive themselves,” she said.
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This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Prescott Valley woman dies after 'catastrophic' burn injuries
