- [Narrator] May 31,2013, a truck traveling

over 60 miles per hour rearends an SUV at a traffic light.

First responders arrive to findthe SUV engulfed in flames.

- I really, right then,

believed that it wasgoin' to be a fatality.

- [Narrator] The victim was23-year-old children's pastor

and performer, Cody Burns.

- You could see a handhangin' out of the vehicle

and to be honest, we hadautomatically assumed

it's probably gonna be a body recovery.

- [Narrator] But as firefighters struggled

to douse the flames.

- I seen his hand moveand I immediately turned

and ran back to the truckand told the crews that,

"Hey, he's still alive!"

It turned into a rescueinstead of a recovery,

so we've gotta pick this up.

- [Narrator] Now theywere battling the flames

and the clock.

It took an hour to pullCody from the wreckage

and load him on a waiting chopper.

- I cried.

I don't think there was a dry eye

of any of the firefighters on that scene.

This was probably the bravest rescue

I've ever witnessed in my career.

(somber music)

- [Narrator] SheriffHill went to Cody's home

to inform his parents about the accident.

- He said, "Cody's been in a bad accident

"and he's been life flighted."

And so, my heart just sunk at that moment.

- [Narrator] Jan and herhusband rushed to the hospital

where Cody's two brothersand grandmother met them.

They learned Cody had severe burns

and needed to be transferred

to the Richard M. FairbanksBurn Center in Indianapolis,

about two-and-a-half hours away.

- [Jan] They wouldn't letus see Cody right away,

they put us all in a little side room.

So immediately, you're thinkin' the worst.

- [Narrator] Once Cody was stabilized,

the family was taken to see him.

- It was devastating tosee him the first time.

We prayed over him and thenthey put him on the life flight

and they flew him toIndianapolis at that point.

- [Narrator] The burn center director,

Dr. Rajiv Sood, assessed Cody's condition.

Cody had fourth-degreeburns that, in some places,

had gone to the bone.

- He had very significant burns,

over 40% of his total body surface area.

There was an inhalation injury component.

When patients who haveburns sustain a lung injury,

they have three-times thechance of not making it.

- [Narrator] Jan and herfamily arrived at the hospital

to find Cody deeply sedated.

- We were just kinda numb andit was just hard to take in.

I just felt like I was havin' a nightmare

and I didn't know how to pray,

I didn't even know what to say.

- [Narrator] But their church

and Facebook friends aroundthe world were praying

for Cody's strength and healing.

Soon, the doctors wereconfident Cody would survive,

but the road ahead wouldbe painful and uncertain.

In the coming weeks, Cody wouldendure numerous surgeries,

to remove dead tissue and graft on new.

- The surgeries involved in burn care are,

they are pretty awful.

It really, conceptuallyinvolves removing layers

of skin first, and thenfat as needed and muscle,

or whatever is burnt, really.

There were repeated episodes of infection.

- [Narrator] There was also the chance

Cody wouldn't regainfull use of his limbs.

While grateful her son would live,

Jan now feared for his future in ministry.

- He always, at an early age, had a drive

and a vision to serve God

and that continued togrow as he got older.

- [Narrator] But thatwasn't all he could lose.

- They told me they were gonna have

to probably amputate three of his fingers

and I'm like, "You can't, hejuggles, you can't do that."

Feelin' like I was in adream, I also felt a peace

and I know that was from others prayin'.

(hopeful instrumental music)

- [Narrator] Through those prayers

and the skill of his doctors,

Cody lost none of his fingersand began improving every day.

After almost four weeks,he was breathing on his own

with no permanent damage to his lungs.

But as he came out of sedation,

Cody struggled to face his new reality.

- They would unwrap myhands, I was devastated

because I could actually see my bones.

Parts where the flesh had been burnt off.

It took a long time before I really,

fully understood theextent of my injuries.

My heart was broke because I knew

that I would probably never be able

to do the things that I once loved to do.

- [Narrator] Over the next several months,

Cody endured more surgeriesand physical therapy.

He also wrestled with depression,

but says his faith saw him through.

- God didn't do this to me,

but he allowed it to happenbecause he could trust me.

He knew that with him being my strength,

he could trust and knowthat Cody Burns is goin'

to be able to take this tragic event,

turn it around and make itinto something beautiful,

but it's only with his strength

and with him guiding and helping me.

- [Narrator] Cody is back,brightening the lives of others

as a performer and motivational speaker.

- He had a vision of, hey,I'm gonna get back to ministry

and I'm gonna get back tojuggling and spreading the word,

with just a different sort of message,

which was actually morepowerfully delivered,

in his case, after injury.

- He was like, off the chartson his juggling before,

to see him do it now iseven so much more meaningful

because I know what he went through.

And to see him raise his hands now

and give God glory is just

overwhelming,

I'm just so thankful.

- Jesus lets us know that,

in this road you will have trouble,

but take heart, he's overcome the world.

And so, I cling to him, he is my rock,

he is my strength, he is my hope.

He's the reason I exist andI continue to move forward.