By REBECCA WALSH
It was Saturday night and Roger McKernan was doing what he loved best - racing go-karts.
The 13-year-old and his family were regulars at Kart City in Invercargill and, although the track was relatively new, they had tested it out a few times.
It was after 10pm and Roger, his father, Graeme, and some friends were about to call it quits and head home when something went horribly wrong.
"I remember rolling and the flames coming up. I remember being lifted over by the exit and getting water poured on me," Roger said.
"I remember getting a needle. That was it. Then I woke up here [Kidz First at Middlemore Hospital]."
The Southland Boys' High School third-former suffered third-degree burns to his face, neck and hands as a result of the March 9 accident.
Kart City remains closed while Occupational Safety and Health determines the cause of the accident.
Mr McKernan said no one saw exactly what happened that night.
"Me and my cobber Troy came around the corner. I thought it was the orange light that flashes when your time is up. When I got closer I realised it was a fire. Roger was very quiet and very calm ... I would have expected anyone on fire to be yelling and screaming."
On life support for the first two weeks, Roger has had five operations to try to repair the damage to his face and hands. Doctors have taken skin grafts from his back down to the back of his knees.
There are more operations to come and months in hospital away from the rest of his family and friends.
Surrounded by "get well" cards and racing car posters - New Zealand supercar driver Greg Murphy visited the teenager last week - Roger has seen his hands but has not yet seen his face.
He said his focus was on "getting better, going home and getting my education".
His parents take turns to be at their son's bedside 24 hours a day. Mr McKernan said Roger was slowly getting his "old self" back.
"He has stages where he can be quite good and other moments when he goes into a blank gaze. He's hurting in himself emotionally."
But the teenager nicknamed "Porridge" for his love of the cereal has not lost his sense of humour. He told his mother, Paula, the other day that she could do with a facial.
"I've told her she needs a make-over because I'm giving her too much stress."
Mrs McKernan said as a mother her natural instinct was to try to "fix" her son and it was difficult because she couldn't.
More than three weeks after the accident, Roger's 10-year-old brother, Nathan, and his grandparents are being flown to Auckland courtesy of Variety Club sponsor Flight Centre and Air New Zealand.
Mr McKernan said he was grateful for the support of many people, including hospital staff, the Ministry of Health and companies that had supplied rental cars and food.
Many Southland businesses had made donations to the family.
"I only wish no one ever had to go through what we are going through ... we take it one day at a time."
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