Bubba/Bubba's Angels Facebook
A few seconds of mutton busting, a fall, and a mouthful of rodeo arena dirt almost killed 3-year-old DerekScott “Bubba” Kirby of Goldthwaite. The toddler was participating in a rodeo sport we’ve seen children do hundreds of times when he injested E. coli tainted dirt at a Central Texas rodeo in June. How many times did you fall as a kid in the calf scramble and land face first in the dusty arena? Our parenets just dusted us off and handed us nacho money. Whoever thought you could get sick from it? ”There was no injury, just a mouthful of dirt,” Bubba’s mother, Deven Denman, told the Fort Worth Star Telegram. ”He was laughing.” A week later things got serious. Bubba developed hemolytic uremic syndrome, a condition that’s left him unable to eat, speak or walk. “Around the country other children have fallen ill after contact with animals at fairs, rodeos and petting zoos. The condition usually affects children under age 5 and occurs when an infection in the digestive system produces toxic substances that destroy red blood cells,” reported the Fort Worth Star Telegram.
Bubba has since had a series of other health failures including a stroke but through intense support he’s been able to slowly recover. Denman, a divorced mother of two and self-employed hairdresser, has been by her son’s side through his frightening medical scares and thankfully he’s made progress. Bubba has since been moved out of an Austin hospital to Our Children’s House at Baylor in Dallas for rehabilitation. And he’s been able to speak one word, “No.” To help offset medical expenses and provide support for the family, friends have started a 7,000+ member strong Facebook page dubbed: Bubba’s Angels where you can make Pay Pal donations (or send a check ) and buy a t-shirt. They’ve also created a web site: www.bubbasangels.com. There is also a prayer vigil schedule this Saturday at Trinity High School, 500 N. Industrial Blvd., from 7:30 to 10:30 p.m.
Get well cards can also be sent to the following address:
DerekScott K. Kirby “Bubba”
Our Children’s House at Baylor
3301 Swiss Ave.
Dallas, TX 75204
Room 249
