Korryn Bachner, 15, was sitting by a campfire with her friends when one of them poured gasoline that caused an explosion. The incident happened on April 28.
Korryn was one of 12 people who were badly injured. She suffered third-degree burns on much of face and hands, which meant she would be unable to attend her high school’s prom.
Korryn spent two weeks in hospital fighting for her life and will need to undergo more surgical procedures in the future.
Korryn was a popular cheerleader and had many friends at her school, Glendale East High School, in Illinois. But with her head completely wrapped in bandages, Korryn assumed that there would be no school prom for her this year.
Weeks earlier, Korryn had agreed to attend prom with her friend Jonathan Ayala. But after the incident, a school dance was the furthest thing from Korryn’s mind. Still, Ayala was determined to bring Korryn a bit of joy amid her painful recovery.
“He told me in the hospital that he was determined to bring prom to her, even if it was in the hospital,” Korryn’s mom, Ellen, recalls of Ayala. “Then when we came home, he asked if he could decorate the basement.”
Prom ended coming to her house on Saturday night. Ayala decorated the basement and friends stopped over before going to the actual prom
“She has such a great group of friends. There were definitely some tears, but they were happy tears,” Ellen recalls of the event. “[Ayala] missed his senior prom for her. She has the opportunity to still attend two more, but I don’t know that another prom will ever be as special as this one was.”
“She was just happy. I’m sure there was a smile underneath her bandages and a few happy tears. It made my heart happy,” Korryn’s mom, Ellen, says.
The sweet gesture proved to be a source of encouragement for Korryn, who Ellen says has a long recovery ahead.
A friend set up a GoFundMe page to help cover Korryn’s medical expenses. According to Fox News, no charges have been filed in the fire, as police said they believe the incident was an accident with no malicious intent, though the investigation is ongoing. The boy who caused the fire was also badly injured, Ellen says.
“Having all my friends support helps a lot, gets my mind off things,” Bachner told ABC 7.
The teen’s recovery has been slow, Ellen said, but “it’s going in the right direction — every day we see improvement.”
This wonderful gesture did a lot to cheer up Korryn — something she needs during her long recovery period.
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