Florida boy recovering from freak accident that left him badly burned: 'His pants were melting'
GAINESVILLE, Fla. - A young boy is in rough shape at a Central Florida hospital after a freak accident during a camping trip left him badly burned.
A young boy from St. Cloud is recovering at UF Health Shands Hospital after suffering from second and third-degree burns on his legs and hand. The two-year-old was running and playing with a bubble wand when he fell backward into a fire pit during a camping trip on New Year's Day.
"When I grabbed him, his pants were melting. They were like a nylon material, and they were melting. They melted to me, and I ripped them off," said Finny's Mother, Tabitha Shay.
His mom said his brother Weston grabbed his sweatshirt and got him out of the pit. Doctors say it was his 11-year-old brother's brave efforts that stopped him from suffering from even more burns.
"He grabbed Finny’s sweater, and he told me, ‘Mom, it took me a second to process what was happening. And then I said, ’Oh my gosh!' and I just pulled him out," said Shay. "Somehow, he managed to do that without getting any boo-boos on himself, which is a miracle. But we are very, very proud of him. Very proud."
Finny's other brother, Waylln, helped comfort him as they raced to the hospital.
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Finny suffered burns to 18% of his body. It's been hard on the family as they reflect on the freak accident.
"He just randomly ran backwards, straight into a fire. You know, what are the chances that happens? It's hard not to blame yourself at first," said Finny's dad, Jeff Strait.
Finny's road to recovery is far from over, but his parents are overwhelmed by the support they've gotten from the hospital staff, family, and friends.
"I thought I had a handful of friends, and it turns out I have a whole village of friends," said Shay.
"I'm relieved of how many people have reached out to us for help. From the bottom of our hearts, we really appreciate it," continued Strait.
The family lives in St. Cloud, so Shay and Finny will stay in Gainesville while he continues his treatment. The family set up a donation page to help with costs.