Badly Burned Teen Taken Back to Hospital

Michael Brewer in serious condition after suffering "respiratory distress"

Less than two weeks after he was sent home for the holidays, teen burn victim Michael Brewer is back in the hospital in serious condition.

Brewer, 15, was admitted back to Miami's Holtz Childrens Hospital at Jackson Memorial yesterday, according to a spokesperson for JMH.

Though the hospital wouldn't comment on why he was readmitted, family representative Gary Fuller left a message to Brewer's Facebook friends last night, explaining the situation.

"Mikey has had respiratory distress the last few days due to his asthma, the change in temperatures in South Florida, and the multiple intubations that he had to endure due to his skin graft surgeries," Fuller wrote on the Pray for Mikey Brewer page. "He had a bad night/morning today so Valerie and Mike Sr. decided after consultations with doctors to take him into a hospital."

This morning, Fuller added that "Mikey had a peaceful night last night and is breathing a mixture of oxygen and helium to reduce the swelling in his throat. He is going to undergo an endoscope examination of his trachea to see if there are any restrictions, swelling, or other damage that might be the cause of his labored breathing."

Brewer had been in the hospital since he was burned on over 65 percent of his body in the Oct. 12 attack in Deerfield Beach. According to police, Brewer was surrounded by a gang of classmates who poured rubbing alcohol on him and set him on fire.

Brewer had been discharged from the hospital on Dec. 22 so he could be home for the holidays.

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