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CHAPEL HILL – More than 200 burn survivors and their friends and family celebrated life on Saturday. Robert Leffer and his family were in attendance. Leffer was discharged from the burn center Nov. 2 after spending more than nine months there in recovery after a multiple car wreck on I-40 in Wake County left him with second and third degree burns over 80 percent of his body.

Leffer's 2-year old son, who's also named Robert, had been asking for a fire truck for Christmas. On Saturday, firefighters from Lee County, where Leffer and his family usually live, presented the boy with a handmade, wooden truck.

More importantly, the Leffer family is happy to be together for the holidays.

"I didn't want to spend the holidays in the hospital even though they would've treated us really well," Leffer said. "But being with my wife and son meant everything."

Saturday marked the 17th annual Celebration of Life reunion with participants coming from all across North Carolina. A group of four panelists who are child burn survivors spoke to the group about their experiences.

"The sharing is not only healing for you, but it provides healing for others," said burn survivor and panelist Pam Elliott. "To know that someone has gone through the same struggle that you have, it's a healing for your soul."

Dr. Bruce Cairns, the medical director for the burn center, said it's also inspiring for his staff to see their hard work pay off.

"It's really important for them to see the burn survivor doing well, thriving," he said. "I think it's important for the general community to understand we have burn survivors among us. They are just like everyone else. They just happen to have a burn injury they're adjusting to."

Leffer is starting down his road to recovery, and he's thankful to have his faith and his family along for the ride.

"Where there's life, there's hope," he said. "And I know it's not the end of the world for me."