Apr 18, 2008 7:16 pm US/Central
300 Pray To Heal 13-Year-Old Burn Victim
(WCCO)
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300 people came to Sauk Rapids Rice Middle School where Taylor goes to school. They grabbed hands, walked a mile, and then prayed for Taylor.
CBS
In Sauk Rapids Friday, 300 people prayed for a teenager who was seriously burned, and they did it in a rather unique way.
"I think it will help a lot, because our whole town is being supportive of this whole thing," said Kim Gerads, who organized the event.
The day started with Taylor Strand's friends blowing up pink balloons and posting a banner in her honor. Then they put out buckets on some of the streets in town, so people could donate money.
Taylor is 13 years old. She and her friend were trying to start a campfire a few weeks ago. Taylor took a can of gasoline while trying to light the fire, and the can exploded.
Taylor suffered burns on 80 percent of her body, and she's now in the Burn Unit at Hennepin County Medical Center in downtown Minneapolis.
Taylor's friends want her and her family to know that they are not alone in their struggle.
"Everyone wants her back," said her friend, Madi Schraut. "Oh yeah, we pray for her every night."
"Yeah, I want to see her again," said her friend Ashley Guetta.
Friday, 300 people came to Sauk Rapids Rice Middle School where Taylor goes to school. That's where they started. They grabbed hands, walked a mile, and then prayed for Taylor.
People she's close to and even those she doesn't know came out to help her heal.
"We pray that you would indeed bring healing… continue to bring healing," said a local minister.
Taylor's father and his fiancee were taken back to see 300 people's hands held together.
"I can see it in everyone's eyes. They're going through this with us. We appreciate it," said Taylor's dad, Wayne Strand. "Thank you to everyone."
His daughter could spend a year in the hospital.
She's been through three surgeries so far, has more to go, but now knows she has a solid support structure far from her hospital bed.
The group yelled a final cheer for Taylor: "One, two, three, Stay Strong!"
(© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
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