Korryn Bachner, 15, spent days in the hospital and almost had her prom plans cancelled, but then her friends stepped in. Two weeks ago, she was among a dozen teenagers injured when a boy poured gasoline on a bonfire at a Glendale Heights home, causing an explosion.
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Bachner has serious burns on much of face and hands, which meant she had to skip her high school's prom.
But prom came to her Saturday night. Her date decorated the basement and friends stopped over before going to the actual prom.
"There were tears," said her father, Bob Bachner.
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It was just one of many examples of how the Lombard community has rallied around the victims of the accident, raising hundreds of thousands of dollars on GoFundMe pages and with traditional fundraisers like a car wash. The money will help with medical bills.
"Overwhelming doesn't seem like the right word anymore," said mother Ellen Bachner.
"The community has really gone out of their way to be helpful, to be there. Everything that is going on, it is very overwhelming and very humbling," said Bob Bachner.
Doctors expects Korryn Bachner to fully recover from the burns, but it will take months.
She will be a junior next year and there will likely be other school dances in her future, but none likely as emotional as Saturday night's dance in her basement.
"Having all my friends support, it helps a lot. It takes my mind off things," Korryn Bachner said.
While she is grateful to be home, her best friend remains hospitalized.