BOARDMAN — When Eve Heim Hagen woke up, she couldn’t recall the events placing her in an Akron hospital.

“I kind of slightly remember that morning, like running out of the apartment,” she said, “but it’s a flash.”

Heim Hagen, 54, doesn’t remember the January fire that engulfed her London Square apartment in Boardman or being flown by helicopter the Akron Children’s Hospital’s burn unit.

When she became alert, doctors told her that 80 percent of her body suffered second- and third-degree burns. Doctors said burn victims usually don’t survive with the amount of burns that Heim Hagen experienced.

In Akron for two months, Heim Hagen came back to Boardman to heal before going to an Austintown nursing home for rehabilitation.

Then, finally in May, she was able to get a new apartment in Boardman.

Heim Hagen lost everything in the fire but, with the help of the local American Red Cross and her best friend, she obtained the essentials to rebuild her life.

“I didn’t even have clothes to wear. Only a hospital gown,” she said.

Growing up in Niles, Heim Hagen has lived in Arizona and Montana before coming back to Ohio in 2008. She has a daughter who lives in Spokane, Wash.

Heim Hagen enjoys playing video games on her phone, drawing and collecting wolf figurines.

In January, when fire Chief Mark Pitzer arrived at the scene, he saw heavy fire coming from Heim Hagen’s apartment.

A neighbor, who also lost everything as a result of the fire, said that when Heim Hagen opened the door to her apartment, all that could be seen was a wall of flames.

At the time, Pitzer said he was not aware of fire code violations within the complex and there was no indication of foul play.

Throughout her rebuilding process, Heim Hagen has found strength in her faith.

“Sometimes all you have is your faith,” she said, advising anyone going through a difficult time to try holding on to hope.

“When you have no more tears to cry, when you have so much pain, you can’t do nothing but cry. So let it go and let God,” she said. “It’s all in His hands.”