Burn specialists in Augusta treated him as a teen. Now, he's published a book about his journey

Connor McKemey nearly died from a major accident when he was a teenager, and is now using his story to inspire others.

On Thursday, McKemey launched the tour for his new book at the JMS Burn Center at Doctors Hospital where he was treated for burns, some third-degree, over 90% of his body.

McKemey was 13-years-old when he was in the accident which involved his trying to impress a girl, a fire pit and a propane tank. He was put in a medically induced coma for more than two months while doctors worked to heal him and still remembers the moment he woke up to the realization of what had happened.

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"I knew it was Valentine's Day because my mom had decorated my whole room in pink and red and balloons," McKemey said with a laugh. "I knew I was in rough shape. I was wrapped head-to-toe in bandages and I could see my hands, I was missing a few fingers. They were telling me I couldn't walk and I wasn't going to be able to play sports and things that I knew and loved. It was tough to come to grips with that early on."

With the help of the burn center team, McKemey would re-learn to walk — and then some. He played high school and Division I collegiate lacrosse, and eventually coach. At 28 years old, he has taken these life-lessons and translated them into a career as a motivational speaker and now the author of "Life Ignited: A Hopeful Journey, Sparked by Fire."

"Sharing my story was something my mom especially pushed me to do early on," he said. "The way I looked and the way I was trying to approach life was a little bit different than my friends, but I came in a very supportive area that allowed me to feel comfortable in my skin and thrive in that aspect. But, I knew that there was a lot of people that helped me out...it took me until a few years ago when I took a step back from the life that I was living as a coach and doing all the things I wanted to understand that there's something probably bigger out there that I could be doing and could be helping with."

JMS Burn Center Director of Pediatric Care Richard Cartie treated McKemey and has stayed close to him for the more than 10 years since. He proudly introduced him during Thursday's book signing and praised his work inspiring other burn patients, like 20-year-old Sarah Italien of Augusta.

"Being a burn survivor, it gives me hope, and I realized he also has amputees, so I know there's life after recovery," Italien said.

McKemey's book is available on Amazon and on Barnes & Noble's website. The tour will continue through out the southeast with stops scheduled in Atlanta, Memphis, Nashville and Dallas. He plans to tour up north too, just as soon as the weather starts warming up.

This article originally appeared on Augusta Chronicle: Burn survivor Connor McKemey starts book tour in Augusta