Mom Of Boy Burned By Flaming Gasoline Talks Recovery

INDIANAPOLIS -- The mother of a 7-year-old boy burned when a 13-year-old boy kicked a flaming can of gasoline said Thursday that her son is showing remarkable signs of recovery.

Jason Cherry's condition continued to improve Thursday, as his mother, Kimberly Strunk (pictured), recalled the horror she felt when she saw the boy on fire, 6News' Renee Jameson reported.

Cherry was burned on his face, chest and hands when the burning gasoline splashed on him.

"I'm in shock. I've been numb ever since," Strunk said. "When you see your kid on fire and having to be put out, I've been in shock ever since."

The incident happened Wednesday when he was playing outside with other children in the 1700 block of Olive Street.

Cherry's friend, Anthony Hubbard, witnessed the incident. Horrified, but without hesitation, he jumped a fence and rushed in to help using his bare hands to help put out the flames.

"I was thinking I've got to do something. I just can't watch this kid die," Hubbard said.

"The doctors have told me I owe him (Hubbard) a debt of gratitude because he said he literally made the difference between life and death," Strunk said.

Cherry's road to recovery will be long and may require surgery. He is wrapped in bandages down to his waist, and doctors aren't sure if the boy will have permanent scars on his face.

"He's not aware that when the swelling goes down, he will look more like himself," she said. "It's just the swelling that's making him look the way he looks now."

Cherry was listed in stable condition Thursday. The boy who police said kicked the can was charged with criminal recklessness.