As a blazing fire raged through their family trailer, Seth Ryan Marco Massella’s pregnant mother threw her body over 13-month-old Seth to shield him from the inferno. Her actions saved his life. Unfortunately, the fire took her life, the life of her unborn baby, and Seth’s father. It was the beginning of a very long journey for this little child.

After this horrific tragedy, Seth’s aunt Monica Duncan stepped in to raise him. For the next fifteen years, Seth experienced more than fifty operations at the Shriners Hospital. The procedures consisted of skin grafts, the realignment of broken bones, implants to stretch his skin, and wearing full body suits so his scars wouldn’t bulge. You may even recall seeing him on television as the poster child for the Shriner’s Hospital.