Demetrius was 8 years old when he suffered 3rd-degree burns on over 50% of his body. Demetrius was playing a basketball video game on President’s Day in 2013 in the back of his great-grandparents’ Fort Pierce home. Both of his great-grandparents were killed in that horrific fire and Demetrius was saved by the firefighters who responded to the call. With burns covering 50 percent of his body, Demetrius was flown to Cincinnati, Ohio, where burn unit medical staff treated injuries to his head, face, and arms, by use of donor skin grafts and other treatment methods. He has since endured 32 surgeries. He still travels regularly to Miami and Cincinnati to visit burn specialists. To this day, Demetrius is in touch with the brave, first-responders who saved his life.

It takes a community to come together to save lives.  Through it all, Demetrius continues to smile, remain optimistic and is grateful for the community support his family has received during his recovery. Demetrius’ mother, Chiquita Andrews, was quoted saying “Demetrius is my hero, so he keeps us together. Also with the community, our friends, our family, supporters, they all help keep us going as a family.”