Amazing recovery of a young burn victim

10:44 AM PDT on Wednesday, September 14, 2005

By BERNARD CHOI / KING 5 News

SEATTLE – A 5-year-old boy who suffered massive burns in a freak backyard fire last June is making significant progress.

KING

Amazingly, Brian Ashmore still manages to smile.

Tuesday, Brian Ashmore spoke with KING 5 after being released from intensive care.

The little boy withstood hours of grueling and painful surgery and still shows a big smile. He still has quite a ways to go on the road to recovery, but for Brian's mom Theresa, this is a drastic improvement from just three months ago when she first saw him in the hospital with more than 60 percent of his body severely burned.

"I couldn't even look at him, I had to walk out of the room," she said.

It was in early June when Brian was playing with his friend Alex on a swingset in Spokane. The boys got a hold of a can of gasoline.

Investigators say Alex poured the gas and Brian slide down the swing set, perhaps setting off static electricity, which ignited a fire.

Brian suffered heavy burns to his legs, back, arms, chest and abdomen.

"Anyone who comes in with a 60 percent burn as extensive and as severe as Brian's were has a likelihood of not making it through," said Dr. Matthew Kline, Harborview Medical Center.

Brian has undergone about 10 surgeries. Doctors had to take the skin he had left to cover the burned areas and, in a first at Harborview Medical Center, doctors even used skin from a cadaver to repair Brian's body.

"I thank all of them for what they have done for my son because if it wasn't for them I don't think he would be here," said Theresa.

Now Brian can look forward to getting better and going home to reunite with his family. He will have to have two or three more surgeries before is he is released, then there's rehabilitation. The 5-year-old will have to learn to walk all over again.

If all goes well, doctors say Brian should be able to go home at the end of the year.

The other boy, 4-year-old Alex Brown, suffered burns to more than half his body too. Doctors say he has made great strides as well, and should leave the hospital later this month.