What a difference a year makes.
Michael Brewer, the Deerfield Beach teen who was set on fire by his classmates last year, came very close to death.
Tuesday marks the one-year anniversary of that vicious act.
But on Monday, Brewer celebrates a happier milestone, his 16th birthday, a day his friends and family prayed they'd get to see.
It was October 12th, 2009, just one day after his 15th birthday, when police say a group of boys covered him in rubbing alcohol and set him on fire outside of a Deerfield Beach apartment complex. The heartless attack was said to have happened over a video game.
With burns on nearly two-thirds of his body, Brewer spent the last months of 2009 in pain and most of 2010 in recovery.
Brewer had extensive surgery, including four skin grafts, and suffered breathing complications after the attack, spending months in the hospital and in physical therapy. He completed his final burn treatment just last month.
Now the teen who literally fought for his life is celebrating another year of life.
Today, Brewer's life has changed - a new home, a new school, and a new set of friends.
Three teens are in jail charged with second-degree attempted murder for the attack. Monday, Michael will celebrate his birthday with friends and family at home and Tuesday he's set to appear on the "Today Show" on NBC.
