Mother, 2-year-old girl still recovering following south Phoenix house fire
Five weeks after a Phoenix firefighter ran into a burning home to save a baby girl, we're getting an update on her progress.
2-year-old Yuna Rose was asleep when flames tore through her family's apartment near Central and Roeser.. Her mother and 5-year-old brother escaped by breaking a window. The mother tried to fight the fire to save her daughter and suffered severe burns in the process.
Yuna suffered burns to 30 percent of her body, mostly on her lower half. Her mother, Andrea, suffered burns to 50 percent of her body -- her entire back, part of her head, and arms were badly burned. Both have been recovering at the Maricopa Burn Unit and for the first time since the fire, brother and sister were re-united.
5-year-old James had not seen his mother and sister since the fire over a month ago, but finally, Yuna was well enough for the special visit.
The reunion was helpful for little James. Family members say he's been having a difficult time dealing with his mom and sister's hospitalization and the separation.
"He was really excited to see his sister finally.. it calmed him down from his anxiety that he's been having," said James' grandfather, Steve Young.
The flames singed both of Yuna's legs and feet, one of her arms and an ear, but she's been recovering well.
"Now you can actually see skin.. you can see fingers and toes," said Yuna's grandmother, Linda Young. "Every day, it's another blessing, considering we were really afraid."
Andrea, however, is still in critical condition. She's undergoing a new treatment, where doctors are using cells from her own skin to to help grow new skin.
"She can't even get up yet. She's still in airplane mode. It's still pretty severe, but at least they're not in coma anymore," said Linda.
Both mom and daughter still have a long way to go before they can leave the hospital and find a new home. James and his father are staying with relatives.
"It's one step at a time and one day at a time," said Linda.
Officials say the cause of the fire remains under investigation.