California teen recovering from severe burns after house fire needs help with rehabilitation
Teen recovering from severe burns after house fire
King El-Asar, 13, is home after spending 104 days in the hospital recovering from severe burns suffered in a house fire.
An Inland Empire teenager is home after being hospitalized for months.
He suffered third-degree burns in a house fire and now is working to walk and play basketball again.
King El-Asar, 13, is going to need extensive rehabilitation. He will require more than what is covered by insurance.
The young basketball player spent 104 days in the hospital, recovering from severe burns on half of his body after surviving an accidental fire at home.
"He was engulfed in flames. I didn't know where they were coming from. All I knew was his bare skin was literally ablaze," Michelle Franco, King's mother, said. "Seeing your kid in that state. I don't think any parent is prepared to see their kid. I don't want to say lifeless, but he was mummified at one point, all bandages."
King said the wound care was also painful.
"They scrub you. It's sort of a cloth towel. It's soft, but to your skin, oooh, it feels like needles," King said.
King's mom, Michelle, played basketball at USC and now coaches professionally abroad. The game has helped get them through this.
"First quarter. Yeah, we're like 5 minutes into the game, maybe a little winded. We got through the beginning of it, but there's so much more to go," Michelle said.
She's determined to get King through the fourth quarter.
They've created a GoFundMe page to help pay for the rehabilitation he will need. Those looking to help can click here.