Child burned by slide could be brought out of coma

WALTON COUNTY, Ga. — The mother of a toddler burned while going down a slide covered in gasoline said doctors could try to bring her out of a medically induced coma in the near future.

"I'm just ready to see her and hear her voice," Jennifer Lollis told Channel 2's Amy Napier Viteri.

Lollis hasn't seen her daughter Alyssa Calhoun awake since Nov. 9. Alyssa will turn 2 years old in January, and has been in an induced coma at Grady Memorial Hospital since being burned on a slide while visiting her father's home in Walton County.

Investigators said another child poured gasoline on the slide, which somehow ignited as Alyssa was on it.

Her 4-year-old sister Kayleigh was there and ran inside to get her father who extinguished the flames.

Lollis told Viteri Alyssa has had more than 10 surgeries as doctors try to graft healthy skin to the damaged areas. It's a challenge because more than 60 percent of her body is covered in third and fourth degree burns.

"It's been tough for her. It's been a lot, but she's done amazingly well through all of this to be so tiny," Lollis said.

She also said it's been difficult for big sister Kayleigh who Lollis credits with saving Alyssa's life when she ran for help.

She says doctors could operate for the final time next week and then will consider trying to bring Alyssa out of the coma.

"Right now is the easy part for Alyssa, but when she's able to wake up is going to be the tough part for her," Lollis explained.

The family, who lives in Newton County, also has a fund set up at Wells Fargo under the name Jennifer Lollis to help cover the costs related to having Alyssa at the hospital.

WSBTV