“They Took Care of Our Hero”: Burn Recovery and Compassionate Care at Manning Family Children’s

It was 1:30 in the morning when a fire broke out in their trailer on Oct. 2, 2024, off a dark highway in rural Jonesville, LA. It was the home of Chaya and Trenten Butler, both 26 and married for eight years. 

Their trailer, a 14x70 single-wide, was reduced to ruins in minutes. They escaped only with their lives. All of their belongings were gone.  

But moments before, Micheal woke up and ran to his parents. “Jesus woke me up and told me to save my family,” the preschooler said. “Smoke was in my eyes. I knew I had to wake people, so I ran to Mama and Daddy.” 

The fire had started at the back of the house, right outside Micheal’s room. Without hesitation, he said, he ran through thick smoke and flames to get to his parents’ bedroom door on the opposite end of the trailer.  

Chaya said she will never forget the sounds of Micheal’s screams. “Mama and Daddy, the house is on fire!” 

Thick, black smoke was already filling the house, and it was hard to breathe. “It felt like we were being suffocated,” Chaya recalled.  

Trenten said he felt panic right away. “I smelled the smoke right away. When I opened my eyes, I couldn’t see anything. I couldn’t breathe. I felt like I had a bag over my head.” 

Chaya reached out in the dark for Micheal who had stumbled into a plastic laundry basket. She grabbed his hand and tried to find a way out. They fell over and over until they were able to escape.  

Chaya told Micheal to run to the truck while Trenten and his 3-year-old daughter, Brynnlee, got out of the house before the entire trailer was engulfed in flames. Thankfully, their older daughter, Layla, 8, was sleeping at her Mawmaw’s house that night. 

The entire scene was chaotic and when it was all over, Chaya and Trenten said they knew one thing for sure: Micheal was a hero. He saved his family.  

Micheal said he wasn’t scared at all; “Jesus told me not to be afraid.”  

At the time, the family was going to church every week and “Micheal was always praising the Lord. “From the moment he first went to church,” Chaya said, “Micheal had a really open eye to God”  

“It took only seven minutes for the house to go up,” said Trenten. “A split second longer and we wouldn’t have made it out. If it weren’t for Micheal, we wouldn’t be alive.” 

Micheal Suffered Serious Burns 

Chaya and Trenten suffered some nasty burns during the escape, but they hadn’t realized how badly Micheal was hurt until they arrived at the local hospital via ambulance. 

“His hand was burned from turning the burning hot bedroom doorknob, and the plastic from a laundry basket he tripped over had melted onto his face,” Chaya said. “Also, screws from the tin ceiling in the kitchen had melted and dripped onto his back.” 

Micheal was seen at that local Emergency Room but was discharged within a few hours. They advised Chaya and Trenten to put burn cream on their son’s face and hand and to “keep an eye on it,” Chaya said. 

By the following morning, Chaya explained, she believed Micheal ’s injuries needed more medical attention. She took him to the pediatrician who took photos of Micheal ’s burns and sent them to Manning Family Children’s. “She said he needed special burn care,” Chaya said. 

Within a couple of hours, the parents received a call from the Manning Family Children’s Burn Center. “They said Micheal was going to need surgery to treat his burns,” Chaya said. 

By 6 a.m. the following day, the family arrived at Children’s for his first surgery. Plastic surgeon Jennifer Lavie, MD, performed all of Micheal ’s four surgeries over the next month.  

Each week brought progress. The first surgery cleaned the burns. The second, another deep cleaning. By the third week, Dr. Lavie decided not to graft his face because it was healing so well. The fourth week, she performed the skin graft on his hand. 

“Dr. Lavie was amazing,” Chaya added. “She answered all our questions and explained everything she was going to do. I felt confident she was going to take care of my son. She’s a really great doctor.” 

Trenten seconded that thought. “The way she handled our case... she listened to our concerns,” said Trenten. “She kept us in the loop with what she was doing. And she was clear about the steps we needed to take to help him heal. I would recommend Dr. Lavie to anyone. In fact, everyone was great. They took care of our hero.”  

The parents kept singing the praises of the outpatient surgery department nurses, as well. “They kept us informed throughout the surgeries. They called me when they started and when they finished. I knew exactly when he was in recovery,” Chaya said. “I was worried, but the nurses really helped to support our family.” 

Through it all, Micheal had a special nurse, Jordan Poree, who became his favorite. “She took care of him during the outpatient visits and after surgery,” Chaya said. “She made him feel safe.” 

While the doctors feared he would need physical therapy, Trenten explained, Micheal healed so quickly that it wasn’t necessary. After weekly visits, Micheal was seen every two weeks, then monthly. Now, he only needs to go every six months.  

Moving Toward a ‘New Normal’ 

Trenten and Chaya admit the entire experience has taken an emotional toll on their family. They are continuing to ask, “why us?”  

“This entire situation has taken a toll on our family. I don’t think we will ever go back to normal, but I think we can get to a new normal,” Trenten said. 

Now relocated to Harrisonburg, LA., the Butlers are living in a trailer gifted by a family member. They started going back to church and are working through their grief. 

Micheal’s burns are now healed but he still has nightmares about the fire. He is seeing a therapist to talk about his memories and feelings. 

One thing that hasn’t changed is Micheal ’s connection to the Lord. “He continues to pray every night and before meals. He insists his sisters pray, too,” Trenten said. 

“The Lord is working through him in ways I can’t imagine,” said Chaya. “He is a God-fearing little boy,” Chaya said. “The preacher told us the Lord has big plans for Micheal. We don’t know what they are, but we will come to know them.” 

Now a year after the fire, Micheal is back to playing outside, fishing and playing baseball.  

“We were living right—to the best of our ability,” Trenten said. “This fire took everything we had. We lost our home. We lost our pets. But we are still here. Because of Micheal.” 

For more information about the Burn Center at Manning Family Children’s Hospital, please visit https://www.manningchildrens.org/services/burn-care/. 

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About Manning Family Children’s:

Manning Family Children’s is a 263-bed, non-profit academic pediatric medical center that offers comprehensive healthcare services, including over 40 pediatric specialties, just for children. With more than 600 pediatric providers, Manning Family Children’s offers a comprehensive array of specialized pediatric services in Louisiana and the Gulf South. In addition to its main campus located in New Orleans, Children’s operates a network of specialty clinics across Louisiana, including in Covington, Baton Rouge, Alexandria, Lafayette, and the Mississippi Gulf Coast. Children’s offers primary care at 17 convenient locations, along with a network of statewide pediatric affiliations. Children’s is a proud member of LCMC Health, a Louisiana-based, not-for-profit hospital system which also includes New Orleans East Hospital, Touro, University Medical Center New Orleans, West Jefferson Medical Center, East Jefferson General Hospital, Lakeview Hospital, and Lakeside Hospital. Learn more at manningchildrens.org.