The Christmas season is all about hope and St. Elizabeth Regional Medical center is trying to give some of that hope to area burn patients. The annual Lights of Love campaign this year focuses on them.

One night last June turned terrifying for Tony Linner, his wife and four daughters.

Driving in a race car, Tony had just crossed the finish line when his car burst into flames. He was trapped inside.

With burns over 90 percent of his body he found help at St. Elizabeth.

"I hit a wall, flipped, rolled. My car caught fire and from then I proceeded to sit in my car for almost five minutes. My hands and gloves melted to my seat belt which made it kind of hard to get out at that point," said Linner.

Getting out wasn't even the hardest part though. The hardest was sitting in his car knowing what the fire was doing to his body.

"It was frightening. Not many people know this but I did give up. I sat there and I said, I can't do this anymore," said Linner.

But Linner did survive and St. Elizabeth's burn center was there to help Linner realize he didn't have to give up. As the region's main burn center it's something St. Elizabeth does for many patients.

"We get patients, as you heard from Tony, he came from Kearney, often people will be life flighted here and also even from the surrounding states," said Donna Hammack, chief development officer with the St. Elizabeth Foundation.

This year's Lights of Love will go to buy new burn monitors. The monitors track a patients vital signs. Nurses say they're critically important and the ones St. Elizabeth has are getting old so they need replaced.

"It's a really important opportunity to really impact patient care," said Hammack.

Patients like Linner know what that impact truly is.

"The team here is kind of like my favorite football team, all the best players are on that one team. Without them I don't think I would be standing here talking with you," said Linner.

St. Elizabeth Regional Medical center needs roughly $400,000 dollars to replace all the burn monitors and it's hoping the Lights for Love campaign will raise $20,000 of that. Hammack said the center is already half way to that goal.

Anyone can donate to Lights of Love through Christmas. Call St. Elizabeth for more information at the following number: (402)219-7052.