Stories of Survival

Ty's mother, Becky, says she'll never forget receiving that call. "All they could tell us was that he was severely burned, but he was alive."

Ty has undergone more than 30 surgeries and extensive physical therapy. Ty says he was optimistic, but realistic about the chances that he and Renee would stay together. "I'd ... seen a lot of things happen where marriages do end or not happen. With the severity of everything I probably could have sympathized if she would have not wanted to stick around."

Renee says she never had any intention of leaving Ty. "I didn't date him and marry him because of what he looked like," she says. "I married him because of who he is."

In October 2006, Ty and Renee were married.