9-year-old boy rescued from Seffner house fire takes major steps in recovery

SEFFNER, Fla. - A 9-year-old boy is taking his first steps two weeks after Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office deputies rescued him from his burning home in Seffner.

That fire ripped through the home, trapping Owen Ares inside. His mother said when she realized she couldn’t break the window she immediately began praying.

"Two weeks ago tonight, I was going through this crisis, and you know, I had to hit my knees," Karen McGinnis said.

Now, her son Owen is off a ventilator, eating and taking his first few steps as he recovers in the hospital.

"You know, his bravery and his fighting spirit when he was on the ventilator, because I knew he could hear, and I was talking to him all the time, like, you're a strong boy. You're going to get through this. We love you so much. And he's just been fighting this whole time," McGinnis said.

She said the support and generosity from the community has been a tremendous help. On Thursday, Hillsborough County Sheriff Chad Chronister and Tampa Bay Buccaneers COO Brian Ford visited Owen giving him a personalized jersey and other team gear.

"I don't think he fully understands the capacity of what's been going on the outside, because he's been through a lot. His little body's been through a lot mentally, physically," McGinnis said.

As he continues to recover the family is hopeful he’ll be released from the hospital this weekend.