Waukesha woman set on fire shares her recovery story

WAUKESHA, Wis (CBS58)-- Thirty-year-old Amber Fuller tells CBS 58 the story of what happened to her on Sept 2. 

 “It was very quick, it happened very fast," Amber Fuller said.

It’s her daily routine to walk her two little dogs, but that morning it was interrupted. According to a criminal complaint, 39-year-old Joel Murn set Fuller on fire.

“Whatever he had in an aluminum can he threw it at my back," she said.  “Never would have thought it would be something flammable.” 

She tried to run but she fell down.

“Tried to kick him away, do anything to defend myself," Fuller said. “He reached down and took a lighter to my arm, that was it, it was immediate shock, pain, it's pain I can’t even describe."

Fuller suffered second and third degree burns to her arm and back. Documents say Murn thought Fuller was his cousin. The real person he intended to kill.

“It’s scary he wanted to hurt his family like this," Fuller said.

Since the attack Fuller says it’s been mentally exhausting. 

 “Now I get a feeling of what people with anxiety and depression go through. That was something I never experienced before and it’s something very real. I go through it every day."

Fuller is currently receiving red light therapy to treat her burns and skin grafts.

“I’m very surprised at how fast your skin can heal itself, my hand was just covered in blisters but now you can see it’s perfectly fine," she said. “It gives me hope that some day my back and my arm will be the same and I won’t have that daily reminder of what happened.”

Fuller’s job has planned a fundraiser to help with medical bills. You can find more information by clicking this link.

Joel Murn is scheduled back in court Oct 21 for a review hearing.