Burn survivor returns home after nearly one year in hospital

A woman who was lit on fire by a stranger in Kinston finally returned home after spending 10 months at the Jaycee Burn Center in Chapel Hill.

It’s been a long journey for 25-year-old Khloe McNeal, but she was determined to make it home by Christmas.

"I’m a survivor," she says, "You know, survivors they don’t quit. They keep going and that’s what I’m doing."

McNeal was on her way to school when a man she didn’t know poured a flammable liquid on her and lit her on fire. For a brief second, she wondered if she would die. But then she heard a clear voice in her mind.

"I heard a voice that said, ‘Get out. You’re going to get out of here."

She fought her way out of her car, and she’s fighting ever since. Since February, she’s had 18 surgeries and expects to have more. But she was determined to make it home by Christmas, and she did.

"That first flame, it played in my head a lot. I would pray to God and ask for peace because I wasn’t sleeping. Every time I closed my eyes, I would see it."

McNeal said prayers and her mother, Keesha Jones, gave her strength to keep going. She says they relied on each other to stay strong.

When McNeal returned home, the community greeted her with a drive-by parade. Her mom says she hadn’t cried much while her daughter was in the hospital because she was too busy fighting alongside her.

But at the parade, she was finally able to release the emotions she held in for so long.

"People cheering for Khloe – it hit me, and I was finally able to cry," Jones said. "But I didn’t have time to cry. I had to stay focused. I had to keep praying."

Khloe McNeal still has challenges to overcome, but her warrior spirit will help her keep going.