A construction worker is being hailed as a hero for saving a boy’s life, but now he’s fighting for his own as a burn victim in intensive care.
The 55-year-old construction worker was on a job at a family home in Cerritos on Saturday when flames broke out in the attic.
Abel Herrera and another worker were wrapping up for the day, collecting scraps and debris, and noticed smoke coming out of the roof.
Homeowner Jeniffer Kang was not there at the time, but her 14-year-old son William was inside.
“They knocked on the door, asked my son what was going on and my son was just oblivious, he said, ‘You know, everything’s fine,'” Jeniffer Kang said.
But everything wasn’t fine; flames were growing in the attic.
The boy walked out safely but Herrera confronted the threat, trying to put out the fire and save the home.
“Within minutes or seconds, I’m not even sure what the timeframe was, Abel was just torched,” Jeniffer Kang said.
For his selfless actions, Herrera suffered severe burns to over 60% of his body.
“Time is going by really slow … I would do anything just to give him a hug, honestly,” said Jorge Herrera, Abel’s son.
Jeniffer Kang started a GoFundMe campaign — hoping to raise at least $200,000 to help pay for medical expenses and to help the Herrera family.
“This could’ve happened and my son could’ve just been upstairs … My son is totally fine,” Kang said.
Herrera faces a long road to recovery, including multiple surgeries, but those who know and love him say he is a fighter, a survivor.
Jorge wanted to deliver a message — directly to his father —who health care workers say is listening.
“You can do this. Stay strong,” Jorge told his dad.