Victor trains daily as a boxer under the guidance of Olympic silver medalist Rocky Juarez. He has already built a name for himself in youth boxing circles, traveling across states like Mississippi, Kansas and Virginia to compete. When he is not in the ring, Victor runs cross country for his school, plays soccer for fun and recently completed a half-marathon. His average mile time is an impressive 6.5 minutes.
But in early 2025, Victor’s path took an unexpected and painful detour.
With nearly 5,000 followers on Instagram, Victor often shares his training routines and boxing achievements. In an attempt to create a captivating promo video, the middle schooler decided to replicate a social media challenge he had seen: riding his bike through flames over a burning bottle of rubbing alcohol. After purchasing rubbing alcohol from Walmart and borrowing a lighter from a neighbor, Victor set up the stunt. However, when he picked up the bottle, it exploded, resulting in burns covering 28% of his body.
In those chaotic moments, Victor remembered what he had learned in science class, his favorite subject at school. He instinctively dropped to the ground and rolled in the grass. His mother, Maria, was home at the time. The moment she saw her son, she called for an ambulance. Victor was initially rushed to Memorial Hermann Hospital but was transferred a few hours later to Shriners Children’s Texas in Galveston to receive specialized pediatric burn care.
Dr. Lee is a very nice person, and he has helped me a lot.
Victor would go on to spend more than a month as an inpatient at Shriners Children’s Texas, undergoing surgeries, wound care, and intensive physical therapy and occupational therapy to regain his mobility. Throughout his hospital stay, Victor remained focused and upbeat. He bonded with other patients and made some new friends. The high quality of care Victor received from Jong Lee, M.D., made a lasting impression on both him and his family.
“He is a very nice person, and he has helped me a lot,” Victor said.
Dr. Lee serves as chief of staff for burns at Shriners Children’s Texas. He is internationally recognized for his expertise in pediatric burn care and also serves as the director of the hospital’s tissue bank, playing a key role in advancing burn treatment and recovery.
These days, Victor is an outpatient and returns to the hospital for follow-up care and therapy appointments, preparing to be discharged. He is looking forward to resuming boxing training and returning to school, where he plays the euphonium in the band and enjoys learning about animals. Even while healing, he never lost sight of his goals. Victor hopes to become a professional boxer one day. For now, he is excited to continue recovering and regaining his strength.
Reflecting on the incident, Victor advises other kids: “Do not make bad choices like this. This was a bad idea.”
Victor’s story is a powerful reminder of how quickly things can go wrong when social media challenges blur the line between entertainment and danger. But the young athlete has fought hard to get back on his feet, and plans to be back in the ring soon.
“He is so determined,” said Maria. “If he sets his mind to something, he will do it.”
Victor focuses on his arm mobility with occupational therapist Jade.
Victor competes in a boxing match.
Victor tests the strength of his right hand during a therapy session.
Victor raises his arm in triumph after a boxing match.
