Baby taken hostage in Surprise kidnapping and housefire out of ICU
SURPRISE, Ariz. - The seven-month-old baby, Jaxson, who was taken hostage and shot by his father multiple times in Surprise is still hospitalized, but in recovery.
The mother and newborn who were taken hostage were able to get out of the house before it was set on fire by the 51-year-old father, who took his own life.
Baby Jaxson is doing a lot better now, compared to the last time his family spoke on Monday.
His grandparents say he is out of the ICU and no longer on a breathing tube.
"To be in the ICU for just six days and be downgraded to a regular room. I mean, we just think it's a miracle," his grandmother said.
Jaxson has had four major surgeries since he was admitted to the hospital on May 17.
"First time I saw him, I said, ‘you know, I’m sorry I wasn't there to protect you.' Not that he understood that, but I feel so much guilt that we weren't there to protect him," she said.
As he transitioned out of the ICU, there was a little bit of a setback on Thursday.
"It has to do with his abdomen wounds," his grandfather said. "As far as we know, the foot and the shoulder and his hand, we thought he might lose his ring finger on his left hand but there's circulation going through there and they're pretty optimistic that he's going to be able to keep it."
Jaxson's mom has spent every minute she can with her son at the hospital. She's kept the grandparents in the loop when they're not there.
"Hands were waving and feet were going and he looked like his old self," his grandfather said about the last time they saw him.
"He laughed yesterday for the first time. So that was very encouraging," his grandmother said.
What about Jaxson's mother?
His mother, Allie, is still dealing with the trauma from being held hostage, according to the grandparents.
"Mentally, she's having a hard time with it. She's not sleeping, you know, she closes her eyes and she says, ‘Mom, all I hear is the window breaking and I see Todd’s face,'" her mother said.
They have a long road to recovery ahead, due to the horror of the ordeal.
"We're just numb by the entire process and everything that happened. We can't believe what happened.," she said.