"It would be sad to see anyone in that condition, but when it is someone you know, it hits you hard," Debbie said.

Aaron said the worst moment for him came around June 13, when a doctor told him that both legs would have to be removed completely, and his fingers would need to be amputated to the knuckle.

Shortly after, he was transferred to Legacy Emanuel Medical Center in Portland, where the burn center is better able to treat damaged tissue.

In Portland, Aaron's doctors gave him a different prognosis: he would not need to lose as much of his appendages as his previous doctors had thought. On June 19 he had the tips of all eight of his fingers removed, and five days later doctors removed his legs to below his knee.

The stares of strangers

After his surgeries, Aaron continued to recover at Legacy Emanuel until he was transferred to Legacy Good Samaritan Medical Center, also in Portland, to begin physical therapy July 8.

And with the move to the new hospital, Aaron was able to begin to regain some of his independence. He was allowed to move around his floor on his own in a wheelchair, and could even go outside on his own and circle the hospital block.