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| Joshua Merritt |
The second Greene County area youngster severely burned on April 18, died Wednesday night at an Indianapolis hospital.
Joshua Merritt, 11, of Crane Village, passed away about 8:20 p.m. in the burn unit at Riley Children's Hospital, according to reports from a close friend of the family.
Joshua was a student at East Elementary School in Loogootee.
His friend, 10-year-old Nicholas Decker of Bloomfield passed away May 29. He was a fourth grade student at Bloomfield Elementary School.
Both boys were critically injured with burns over more than 90 percent of their bodies in an accident involving gasoline being put on a smoldering fire in Scotland.
This story will be updated as funeral arrangements are made available.
Note: The nature of the Internet makes it impractical for our staff to review every comment. If you feel that a comment is offensive, please
God bless both of these families. They are all in my prayers.
Prayers going out to both families.
This is heartbreaking. My thoughts are with the family & friends.
My thoughts and prayers are with the family!!
prayers are with you all in this difficult time, may gods peace comfort you.
When this story first broke in April, many people here were quick to judge the boys families as having failed to keep them safe.
I wonder how those same people feel now that both young boys have died?
I did not know either family of the boys but you will always remember the smiles of your sons and their laughter.
God be with you.
so so sad
My thoughts and prayers go out to Lisa and the rest of the family. I'm so sorry to hear about Josh, he fought so hard. But I just keep thinking him and Nick are finally back together having fun and laughing while hunting all those snakes and playing ball. May God comfort you! God Bless you all!!
I hope peace can be with both of these families now that their angels are in heaven and have no more pain. God will take care of them and you.
I DID NOT KNOW EITHER FAMILY BUT MY PRAYERS GO OUT TO THEM. THE BOYS ARE NO LONGER SUFFERING AND ARE TOGETHER PLAYING AS THEY ALWAYS DID. EVEN THOUGH THEY ARE NO LONGER WITH US PHYSICALLY ON THIS EARTH THEY WILL ALWAYS BE IN YOUR HEARTS. MAY GOD BE WITH YOU ALL.
May god wrap his arms around you and hold you tight during this time of need and give give you comfort knowing that josh is in his arms with no more pain and now your guardian angle he will always be you.
My thoughts and prayers go out to these families. There is nothing in this whole world that can possibly hurt any worst than losing a child. No matter what the situation. I am sure even though they will be missed terribly here on earth, Heaven has just gotten too very special angels.
May God Bless and Guide all of you through this difficult time.
re -== When this story first broke in April, many people here were quick to judge the boys families as having failed to keep them safe.
I wonder how those same people feel now that both young boys have died?
I did not know either family of the boys but you will always remember the smiles of your sons and their laughter.
God be with you.
-- Posted by L A
They are probably too timid to post here, NOW.
It's easy to poke at someone BEFORE tragic incidents complete their course (in this case, Nick & Josh both dying)=== not so easy to come back later.
I tried defending the families = even though I never met them, I "know" a relative, via the internet. It didn't matter - I got blasted too.
I have watched her pain for 2 months now. I have SEEN her grief.
no one but NO ONE just reading this update, unless you were there, has any clue. any clue about what the families went through. And, I include myself in this = I'm not THERE. but I can see the words of grief.
so = if you are reading this story AND REALLY FEEL THE NEED to blast the parents == step back first. Think about how YOU would feel if total strangers, knowing nothing of you and your life, were to publicly pour vinegar, salt and lemon juice on YOUR wounds. If you wouldn't like it = then zip it.
~~~ arch ~~~
I myself was burned 96% with 66% third degree burns at age five.I was playing with matches around a gas can and what i remember was to make the fire 'bigger'I ran around my house and this helped for the flames not to get into my lungs.I have been told many times how lucky i was and after many,many surgeries later.After i got home i had to learn to crawl and walk again.It was not easy growing up for more reasons than one because people really don't know what one go's through and understand what kind of life it will be.If you have never been in my footsteps or someone who has been burned you can never really know,can you? I promise life would not have been easy for these boys at first. Is it to say would it be better for them to pass away- i would say no, it took years for what the burns did and still somewhat the passed haunts me. As far as my mother,well to me it was not really her fault. I would in time have found away to get the fire 'bigger' another time. And one last thing, i told my mother something and she asked the Doctors and Nurses if ANYONE had been in my room and no one had, i told her that someone in white had come into my room and might take me home with them and again this is when i was five years.To the family my grief is with you and just maby someone in white came into the room and said it's time to go home with them.
Our Prayers and thoughts are with you and your family. DeAnn Norris and famliy
I do know both of the families, one being my neighbor for many years. I want to say something that can ease your pain, but there are no words that can do that...
My heart goes out to everyone that this has touched; especially the family, but also to the classmates that they have left to question 'how this could happen to someone their own age?' Parents of these boys classmates, do listen to your children and do not take it lightly that they are hurting, they are young and confused how someone who isn't "old" can die and now they are faced with the reality that it can happen to anyone, young or old.
God bless the families, you are in so many prayers.
To the posting of Kyle3326. Thank goodness you took the time to make your posting. Many people are consummed with grief and blamming themselves and others for this tradgedy. Your propective, what you have gone through sheds a bright light onto a very sad suiation. Condolences to this family in their hours of grief.
As a Mother who recently lost my triplet daughters, my heart breaks for this family. I understand the sadness and grief this family could be feeling. Our thoughts and prayers are with you.
I am praying for Josh's family as well as Nick's. Noone is to blame for this heartbreaking tragedy. I pray that these two families will find peace in their sorrow. God bless
What a sad end to a horrible tragedy. Both families are in my Prayers. I just know the boys are playing together in Heaven now, keeping each other company.
I am sorry to hear the news. Both parents of the boys will need lots of prayers and understanding from those around them, whether they know you or not. Time will be the factor.....May they turn to God and let him do the work that needs to be done. We can't do it for them and they can't do it alone.
I did not really know the family, but THANK YOU from my heart to all those that reached out to help them. By helping with one of the fundraisers, you can learn something about yourself, about love, about your community.
Our hearts go out to both familys. we just lost a child.we are doing the what if and maybe if and the guilt eats at us everyday. You can't be there all the time and they have a mind of there own. Some people are heartless and never have any thing nice to say. That could of been there child . Shame on them.We just take it one day at a time.Something like this is so hard on the ones left behind .Those who run there mouth must never do no wrong and have nothing better to do but hurt people. I have no use for them . always find fault in everyone but them selfs. I hope they learn from this.
My heart goes out to the families! I will be praying for you!
This is truly a sad time for theses 2 families,and my thoughts and prayers go out to the. I can not imagine the grief they must feel. But it is important for them not to point fingers or to blame themselves for this terrible accident, boy are gonna get in things and do alot of stupid stuff and you can't always be around to say " hey don't do that ". Just try to remember all the good memories that they have left in your hearts.
I have just read about the two young boys and the tradegy that they went through and their families. Three years ago my seventeen year old son was burning trash for a friend and he tried to start the fire with a can of gasoline and it exploded and caught him on fire. He was burned on 80% of his body. He was flown to the Shriners Burn Center in Ohio. He only lived two days and I have to say that God answered my prays that he would take him and not let him suffer any longer. My heart goes out to the parents of the two boys. I've come a long way in three years but the way their life was before the accident will be no longer. You have to find a "new normal". They will need alot of support and love from their family and friends. God Bless both families. Donna Arnold