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O鈥橪eary is the bestselling author and motivational speaker from Webster Groves who accidentally set himself on fire when he was 9 years old. Burns covered nearly 90% of his body, and doctors gave him little or no chance of survival.

But he did survive, and he thrived. With the unceasing love and faith of his family, the skill of the doctors and staff at what is now Mercy Children鈥檚 Hospital and the not-insignificant emotional support of legendary sports broadcaster Jack Buck, the little boy whose fingers had to be amputated because of the burns has grown to become an inspiration to hundreds of thousands of people.

In the movie, O鈥橪eary is played by Joel Courtney, the star of the 鈥淭he Kissing Booth鈥� movies. Before the movie began filming, O鈥橪eary reached out to all the other actors to let them know how important the real-life people they played were in helping him survive 鈥� Macy McLain, who plays his wife, and DeVon Franklin, who plays an encouraging nurse, among them.

鈥淚 told every single other actor, 鈥榊ou鈥檙e the hero.鈥� Macy McLain, 鈥榊ou鈥檙e the hero.鈥� DeVon Franklin, 鈥楧ude, it鈥檚 you, man,鈥欌�� McLeary said following a summer screening of the film.

鈥淛oel may remember this: I sent him a message, and I鈥檓 like, 鈥楬ey, Joel, it鈥檚 a story about heroes. The bad news is, you鈥檙e not it. You鈥檙e broken, damaged goods. You don鈥檛 recognize how God鈥檚 working through your life until the very, very end.鈥欌��

O鈥橪eary had seen some boys playing with gasoline, pouring it out and lighting it on fire. It looked like fun, so on Jan. 17, 1987, he tried it himself in his garage. The resulting fire burned down much of his house.

Two of the heroes that day were his sisters. While he was lying outside, burning, naked and nearly dying, his sister Amy held him close. He was so hot, she felt like she, too, was burning.

He told her he wanted to die. She told him to shut up 鈥� 鈥渨hich I heard a lot in my family growing up,鈥� he says 鈥� and then she told him to have faith and fight.

鈥淭his is an 11-year-old in a nightgown while it鈥檚 gently snowing outside, while their house is burning,鈥� he says.

鈥淚f you want to see a real hero, look at an 11-year-old in front of a burning house, holding her brother. We need examples of that kind of heroism in life.鈥�

Another hero that morning was his 8-year-old sister, Susan, who went into the burning house three times to fill a glass with water and splash it in his face. It seems like a sweet, but pointless, gesture, but it turns out that the water that cooled his face also kept it from scarring.

Speaking to a local group of the movie鈥檚 investors and supporters, he cites another hero, his sister Laura. When he was in the hospital, wrapped up in bandages for five months 鈥� 鈥渕ummified,鈥� is how he puts it 鈥� and the family came to visit, it was Laura who always bounded up to him first.

鈥淭his little blonde 2-year-old would jump into my lap 鈥� probably inflicting damage to my skin grafts,鈥� he says with a laugh.

鈥淪ometimes, it鈥檚 not about the physical healing that we鈥檙e longing and praying for, really, it鈥檚 about the emotional and spiritual healing. Sometimes we offer up the wrong prayers. My sister Laura would remind me, in the midst of tragedy, that I was whole,鈥� he says.

Another hero of the story, and one O鈥橪eary never fails to mention, is Buck, played in the movie by William H. Macy. The Hall-of-Fame sportscaster heard about O鈥橪eary the day of the fire 鈥� it was baseball great Red Schoendienst who told him, at a charity event. Buck went to the hospital to visit the boy a few days later.

A nurse told him did not have a chance to survive. But Buck came back the next day, and many more times during his long recuperation. The sportscaster talked about him on the air, and promised that the Cardinals would have a John O鈥橪eary Day when he was well enough to be able to go.

With his fingers amputated, the young O鈥橪eary was hesitant to even try to write with a pen and paper. But Buck sent him a baseball signed by Ozzie Smith, and a note: If he wants another autographed ball, he has to send a handwritten note back to Smith.

He eagerly picked up a pen between his hands and managed to work it enough to create a legible note. That brought him another ball 鈥� in the movie, it is signed by Stan Musial 鈥� and another letter promising another ball for another note.

All told, he received 60 autographed balls in return for 60 handwritten notes.

鈥淛ack Buck very rarely told his wife Carole where he was going during the day when he visited John O鈥橪eary; he never once told Carole or two people who wrote books about his life about the baseballs he sent to John O鈥橪eary,鈥� O鈥橪eary says.

Buck attended O鈥橪eary鈥檚 graduation at 最新杏吧原创 University and gave him a very special gift: the crystal baseball Buck received when he was inducted into the Hall of Fame.

鈥淗e served quietly, because he could. He knew and gave away love. He could change someone else鈥檚 life for good,鈥� O鈥橪eary says.

鈥淲hat I hope people leave the film with is, you don鈥檛 have to be a Hall of Famer to make an impact. You don鈥檛 need to be burned and survive tragically as a child to make an impact.鈥�