Terminally ill boy hospitalized after parade in his honor
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Aug. 27—There is sad news about 4-year-old Simon Lindsey, the Joplin boy featured on the Globe's front page Friday.
After a parade on Thursday evening, he became ill at home after his mother put him to bed about 8:30 p.m. and he was taken to a hospital, according to social media posts by his mother, Mandi Lindsey. After his oxygen level plummeted and other symptoms, he was taken by air ambulance to Children's Mercy Hospital in Kansas City.
There, a CT scan showed that one of his brain tumors was bleeding. Doctors at Children's Mercy told the family that the brain bleed was severe enough that they do not think that Simon will regain consciousness. He cannot breathe on his own and the family was told his heart could fail.
His parents overnight were trying to arrange for what could be last visits of immediate family members.
About 200 well-wishers came from as far as 120 miles away on Thursday evening to throw a parade for Simon in his neighborhood. There were law enforcement agencies from throughout Southwest Missouri, fire departments including Joplin's, motorcycle groups, superheroes and even a rodeo family who drove 120 miles to ride their horses in the parade. Simon got to sit on a pony they brought for him.
His aunt who organized the parade, Miranda Bennett of Springfield, posted on social media a few hours ago: "After such an amazing day for him, he is fighting his battle harder tonight. Please pray for him!"
