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The man who survived burns over his entire body as a young boy and spent months in the hospital says his journey testifies that God can redeem any story for good. The new movie Soul on Fire (PG) tells the inspiring real-life story of John O’Leary, who in 1987 at age nine was given less than a 1 percent chance to live after a gasoline experiment gone horribly wrong left him with burns from head to toe. He couldn’t feed himself. He couldn’t walk. He couldn’t even talk. 

But with the support of his family, his faith, and the unwavering care of a devoted nurse, O’Leary found the will to live. The movie stars Joel Courtney (Jesus Revolution) as O’Leary, Masey McLain (The Baxters) as his girlfriend/wife, John Corbett (My Big Fat Greek Wedding) as his father, and DeVon Franklin (Breakthrough) as the nurse who refused to watch O’Leary die. It opens in theaters this weekend and is based on O’Leary’s book of the same name. 

Today, O’Leary is a well-known motivational speaker who has shared his story more than 2,700 times to sports teams, businesses, and churches across America. In 1987, though, he was a typical nine-year-old boy who suddenly found himself fighting for survival. After seeing a group of teenagers pour gasoline on the ground and set it ablaze, O’Leary wanted to replicate the dangerous stunt. So one Saturday morning, he grabbed a book of matches and walked to his garage, alone. 

“My mother was out with a couple of my sisters. My dad was at work. This mischievous little boy, nine years old, floppy bangs, bends over a can of gasoline trying to run the science experiment,” he told Crosswalk Headlines.

It exploded instantly and blasted O’Leary 20 feet to the other side of the garage. O’Leary had been taught his entire life to stop, drop, and roll during a fire. Instead, though, he ran into the house. 

“I panicked,” he said. 

He suffered burns over his entire body, with third-degree burns covering 87 percent. At first, the pain was so overwhelming that he didn’t want to live. He describes the burns as a “death sentence.” His older brother, though, stepped in heroically to smother the flames with a rug, while his sister poured water over his face.

At the hospital, O’Leary finally saw his mother, who looked him in the eyes and urged him to fight. He still remembers her words: “You take the hand of God. You fight like you never fought before. You walk with Him forward, and your daddy and I will be with you.”

Doctors estimated O’Leary had less than a 1 percent chance of surviving, yet he lived -- enduring a recovery that lasted five and a half months, dozens of surgeries, and the loss of his fingers.

As a young adult, a pastor’s sermon about saying “yes to being used for good” transformed his outlook on life. Soon after, a Girl Scout troop invited him to speak at their meeting. That first talk led to invitations from a Rotary Club, a Chamber of Commerce, and even a prison.

“And this awkward, introverted burn victim just kept saying yes to Jesus,” he said.

O’Leary believes his story carries a powerful yet simple lesson for moviegoers: “God’s not done with your story.” For much of the film, his character sees himself as useless, but O’Leary says, “God knew it could be redeemed for good.”

“And God used ordinary and exceptional people to draw [John] forward,” O’Leary said. “And you will see yourself somewhere in that film, maybe as the burn victim, but far more likely as a parent or as a sibling or as a spouse or as a nurse or as a janitor or as a college roommate or somebody who recognizes: I've got to do something and remind this person they have value. So part of it is to see yourself in that film. Recognize God’s not done in your story yet, either. You can [also] be elevated in order to draw someone forward, to recognize the beauty of their life.”

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Soul on Fire is rated PG for thematic content including burn injuries, some peril, and suggestive material.

Photo credit: ©Affirm/Soul on Fire

Michael Foust has covered the intersection of faith and news for 20 years. His stories have appeared in Baptist Press, Christianity Today, The Christian Post, the Leaf-Chronicle, the Toronto Star and the Knoxville News-Sentinel. 

Listen to Michael's Podcast! He is the host of Crosswalk Talk, a podcast where he talks with Christian movie stars, musicians, directors, and more. Hear how famous Christian figures keep their faith a priority in Hollywood and discover the best Christian movies, books, television, and other entertainment. You can find Crosswalk Talk on LifeAudio.com, or subscribe on Apple or Spotify so you never miss an interview that will be sure to encourage your faith.

Audio By Carbonatix

The man who survived burns over his entire body as a young boy and spent months in the hospital says his journey testifies that God can redeem any story for good. The new movie Soul on Fire (PG) tells the inspiring real-life story of John O’Leary, who in 1987 at age nine was given less than a 1 percent chance to live after a gasoline experiment gone horribly wrong left him with burns from head to toe. He couldn’t feed himself. He couldn’t walk. He couldn’t even talk. 

But with the support of his family, his faith, and the unwavering care of a devoted nurse, O’Leary found the will to live. The movie stars Joel Courtney (Jesus Revolution) as O’Leary, Masey McLain (The Baxters) as his girlfriend/wife, John Corbett (My Big Fat Greek Wedding) as his father, and DeVon Franklin (Breakthrough) as the nurse who refused to watch O’Leary die. It opens in theaters this weekend and is based on O’Leary’s book of the same name. 

Today, O’Leary is a well-known motivational speaker who has shared his story more than 2,700 times to sports teams, businesses, and churches across America. In 1987, though, he was a typical nine-year-old boy who suddenly found himself fighting for survival. After seeing a group of teenagers pour gasoline on the ground and set it ablaze, O’Leary wanted to replicate the dangerous stunt. So one Saturday morning, he grabbed a book of matches and walked to his garage, alone. 

“My mother was out with a couple of my sisters. My dad was at work. This mischievous little boy, nine years old, floppy bangs, bends over a can of gasoline trying to run the science experiment,” he told Crosswalk Headlines.

It exploded instantly and blasted O’Leary 20 feet to the other side of the garage. O’Leary had been taught his entire life to stop, drop, and roll during a fire. Instead, though, he ran into the house. 

“I panicked,” he said. 

He suffered burns over his entire body, with third-degree burns covering 87 percent. At first, the pain was so overwhelming that he didn’t want to live. He describes the burns as a “death sentence.” His older brother, though, stepped in heroically to smother the flames with a rug, while his sister poured water over his face.

At the hospital, O’Leary finally saw his mother, who looked him in the eyes and urged him to fight. He still remembers her words: “You take the hand of God. You fight like you never fought before. You walk with Him forward, and your daddy and I will be with you.”

Doctors estimated O’Leary had less than a 1 percent chance of surviving, yet he lived -- enduring a recovery that lasted five and a half months, dozens of surgeries, and the loss of his fingers.

As a young adult, a pastor’s sermon about saying “yes to being used for good” transformed his outlook on life. Soon after, a Girl Scout troop invited him to speak at their meeting. That first talk led to invitations from a Rotary Club, a Chamber of Commerce, and even a prison.

“And this awkward, introverted burn victim just kept saying yes to Jesus,” he said.

O’Leary believes his story carries a powerful yet simple lesson for moviegoers: “God’s not done with your story.” For much of the film, his character sees himself as useless, but O’Leary says, “God knew it could be redeemed for good.”

“And God used ordinary and exceptional people to draw [John] forward,” O’Leary said. “And you will see yourself somewhere in that film, maybe as the burn victim, but far more likely as a parent or as a sibling or as a spouse or as a nurse or as a janitor or as a college roommate or somebody who recognizes: I've got to do something and remind this person they have value. So part of it is to see yourself in that film. Recognize God’s not done in your story yet, either. You can [also] be elevated in order to draw someone forward, to recognize the beauty of their life.”

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by SOUL ON FIRE MOVIE (@soulonfiremovie)

Soul on Fire is rated PG for thematic content including burn injuries, some peril, and suggestive material.

Photo credit: ©Affirm/Soul on Fire

Michael Foust has covered the intersection of faith and news for 20 years. His stories have appeared in Baptist Press, Christianity Today, The Christian Post, the Leaf-Chronicle, the Toronto Star and the Knoxville News-Sentinel. 

Listen to Michael's Podcast! He is the host of Crosswalk Talk, a podcast where he talks with Christian movie stars, musicians, directors, and more. Hear how famous Christian figures keep their faith a priority in Hollywood and discover the best Christian movies, books, television, and other entertainment. You can find Crosswalk Talk on LifeAudio.com, or subscribe on Apple or Spotify so you never miss an interview that will be sure to encourage your faith.