TROY, Mich. – A child was killed at a healthcare facility in Troy while getting treatment inside a hyperbaric chamber.
The explosion occurred at the Oxford Center on Kirts Road near I-75 and Livernois.
Troy police said a 5-year-old boy from Royal Oak was inside the chamber when it exploded.
He was pronounced dead at the scene. His mother was standing right next to the chamber when it exploded, causing injuries to her arms.
There are still a lot of unanswered questions.
“We did some initial investigation, and this is very uncommon, so we are not sure what led up to it, and that’s what our investigation is going to show,” said Troy Fire Department Lt. Keith Young.
A statement from the Oxford Center said, “Nothing like this has happened in our more than 15 years of providing this type of therapy. We do not know why or how this happened and will participate in all of the investigations that now need to take place.”
--> Child killed in hyperbaric chamber explosion at Oakland County healthcare facility
There is a lot of uncertainty about the Oxford Center, which has prompted Local 4’s investigative team to investigate. We researched the company’s history. It has two locations, one in Troy and the other in Brighton.
We discovered just last month that a former director in Brighton was sentenced to four to six years for impersonating a healthcare professional and witness intimidation.
According to the attorney general’s office, Kimberly Casey Coden presented herself as a board-certified behavioral analyst even though the state did not license her and she did not have the proper educational background.
Also, this past summer, an employee who said Coden trained her filed a lawsuit against the company.
In the lawsuit, she stated that she, “Witnessed Ms. Coden-Diskin using manipulative language with parents and insurance companies, even impersonating the plaintiff on occasion.”
Local 4 confirmed with LARA that the state does not regulate hyperbaric chambers in the state.
The FDA recommends those who need hyperbaric chamber treatment visit a location that has been accredited by the Undersea and Hyperbaric Medical Society. There are only two in the state -- one in Grand Rapids and one in Niles. More information on those locations can be found here.
--> Hyperbaric chambers: What they are, what they treat, risks, and accreditation
