Young special needs boy fighting for life after being 'set on fire by bullies'

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Young special needs boy fighting for life after 'being set on fire by bullies'
Kayden Culp, from Kerrville, Texas, was hospitalized with burns Sunday
10-year-old's mother says a group of boys attacked her son deliberately
Kayden has burns to about 20 per cent of his body and is being sedated

Published: 18:13 EST, 5 October 2016 | Updated: 08:47 EST, 6 October 2016

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A 10-year-old boy with special needs is fighting for life in hospital after suffering horrific burns while playing in a park.

Kayden Culp, from Kerrville, Texas - about 60 miles northwest of San Antonio - was playing in a field with two boys when a third allegedly poured gasoline over him and another set him on fire on Sunday.

Kayden's mother, Trysten Hatchett, detailed her son's condition on Wednesday, saying the 10-year-old is 'suffering from infections and is currently on medications to stabilize his heart', WOIA reports.

Video courtesy of WOAI/KABB

Kayden Culp (pictured), a 10-year-old boy with special needs, is fighting for life in hospital after suffering horrific burns while playing in a park

He also has burns to about 20 per cent of his body, has a feeding tube and is being kept sedated, according to a fundraising page set up to help the family.

The burns stretch from near his belly button to his ears.

Kayden's mother has also spoken to local police about pressing charges against the boys she claims set her son of fire deliberately.

'My son is a special guy. He was rowdy and he liked to have fun,' she told the Houston Chronicle.

'He considered these guys his friends, but they would make fun of him and pick on him and tease him.

'He was usually the brunt of that kind of joke, but he kept playing with them.'

Kayden (pictured) is suffering from infections and is currently on medications to stabilize his heart, after receiving burns to about 20 per cent of his body on Sunday

Kayden's mother, Trysten Hatchett, has spoken to local police about pressing charges against the boys who she claims set her son of fire deliberately

City spokeswoman Kaitlin Berry said she had heard 'rumors' the young boy was set alight deliberately, but could not confirm whether it was the case because fire marshals are still investigating.

The fundraising page set up to help the family has raised just under $8,000.

It says it is: 'asking for donations to help (the family) with expenses that will arise while they are in the hospital with Kayden.'

Kayden displays autistic behavior, according to his family, but has not been officially diagnosed.