INDEPENDENCE, MO — A Missouri boy is battling back from severe burns after his mother says another child poured nail polish remover on him and set him on fire. Julien Sandlin, 7, will likely need skin grafts after the Aug. 6 tragedy, mother Ashley Lyons told local news channels.

Lyons told WDAF-TV she got a call that her son had been hospitalized after another boy, 8, lit him on fire on purpose. The attack reportedly happened at the Hawthorne Place Apartment Complex. The 8-year-old also lives at the complex, Lyons said.

In addition to serious burns to his face, Julien also suffered injuries from inhaling the burning chemicals, she said.

Though Independence police called the attack on Julien an “isolated incident,” Lyons told the outlet she does not feel safe bringing her son back to the apartment complex once he’s released from the hospital.

Lyons, who said she is a single mother to three sons, has created a GoFundMe account to help find a new, safe place for her family to live, as well as a new game system Julien has asked for and any medical costs that are not covered by insurance.

“Right now Julien is in a lot of pain, nights have been long and difficult due to the PTSD,” Lyons wrote on GoFundMe calling her son a loving boy “who (is) full of love and compassion.”

A photo of Julien and his mom is included at the end of this story. We advise that some readers may find his wounds difficult to see.

In an update, Lyons added, “Watching my son have such bad PTSD and scramble at every noise is killing me. I can’t cry, I can’t scream, I have to hold it together.”

Despite the pain, Lyons said her son is talking more and moving towards recovery. Even so, he has a long road ahead of him: “For the rest of his life. [Doctors are] talking anywhere from two to three years just getting the skin growth back on his skin. That’s not including the pigment or the color of his skin,” she told WDAF.

She said the hospital plans to release Julien soon, so finding a new home is a top priority.

Photo via GoFundMe, a Patch promotional partner.