An Abbeville mother is asking for help getting her son medical care in federal prison.
Raymond Hawthorne was arrested in 2019 on drug charges, when he was already out on parole in a separate drug investigation.
If convicted on his latest charge, he faces up to 40 years in prison. His mother worries he might not make it if he's not released from prison to get better healthcare.
Raymond Hawthorne's family tells KATC he's battled addiction since becoming paralyzed after a shooting. Since being arrested in 2019, his family says his health has only gone downhill.
“Raymond has done wrong. I'm in no way shape or form trying to make Raymond right about anything, but he doesn't deserve a death penalty,” said Hawthorne’s mother, Trula Thornton.
Hawthorne is being held at the federal medical center in Fort Worth, Texas.
His mother says he's suffered a recurring bladder infection and bed sores from lack of treatment.
"He's now infected again. He caught COVID twice when he was in the hospital and with the COVID, it caused his condition to deteriorate even faster. "It's making it get bigger. Now he's at the point where he doesn't want them to do it,” said Thornton.
Thornton fears her son will die alone.
"Give us this time to spend together because I know that it's winding up for him and I'm a home dialysis patient, it is winding up for me. He has a family that loves him dearly,” said Thornton.
Thornton is pleading for her son to be granted home confinement.
"We will comply with whatever stipulations that government puts. We will comply and we will make sure that Raymond complies if they give him that opportunity,” Thornton added.
The family has tried to apply for compassionate release, but that was denied.
We've reached out to the Bureau of Prisons, but haven't heard back.
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