By Bonnie Culverhouse
Three burn victims continue to improve, although it’s been a very slow road for the men.
“Reagan is still unconscious,” said Reagan Hardaway’s father-in-law Bobby Igo Jr. “They were just able to put in a trach tube, and he can breathe on his own for short periods of time.
Igo said because of the swelling and lack of trach, Hardaway experienced infection and pneumonia.
Hardaway and two co-workers Daniel Payne and Chancey Hawk were burned in May in an explosion and fire on an Aeropres location off Old Highway 7.
Igo said a tracheotomy tube was not put in place at the scene, and by the time Hardaway was transported to Ochsner LSU Health in Shreveport, his throat and neck were too swollen.
“Hawke is much the same as Reagan,” Igo said. “They are keeping him under sedation, too, but they were able to put a trach in sooner than with Reagan, so he’s doing just a tiny bit better.”
Cynthia Payne said her son, Daniel, is in rehab at Encompass Health on Millicent Way in Shreveport.
“I’m very impressed with this rehab,” Cynthia said. “He has a swollen right thigh and left arm, and they don’t know why. They took him to the hospital to make sure it wasn’t from a blood clot.”
Cynthia said physical therapists at rehab are impressed with Payne’s efforts, and he’s improving a little every day.
“He tries hard for them; Daniel is tough,” she said. “He has that warrior heart. But he’s still in a lot of pain.”
All the men’s backs were badly burned, causing most of Daniel’s pain.
Bobby Igo and Cynthia Payne both said they are so grateful and impressed with the outreach of prayers and fund-raisers.
“We can feel the prayers,” Igo said.
“It’s amazing … but it’s not,” Cynthia said. “It’s God, I know it is. It’s what keeps us going.”
