PROVO — Bridger Hunt's story is full of miracles. Miracles of survival, miracles of healing and perhaps the biggest one of all, the miracle of forgiveness.

On the way to the fourth-floor courtroom Tuesday, 12-year-old Bridger rode the elevator with Craig Miller, the man whose exploding metal fireworks put Bridger in a wheelchair.

"I expressed my sorrow, expressed how sorry I was," Miller said, recounting his first conversation with Bridger. "And my belief that he will fully recover. (Bridger) said, 'It's all right. It's OK.' He didn't seem to hold any malice, for which I'm extremely grateful."

Bridger and his mother, Mindy Carter-Shaw, have never shown malice toward Miller.

Not when metal shards ripped through Bridger's left leg and torso in Lehi on July 24.

Not when Bridger nearly died on the helicopter ride to Primary Children's Medical Center.

Not even when doctors told Bridger's family they might have to amputate his leg.

Never.

His family may be frustrated, but they don't direct those feelings to Miller. Instead, they call this situation a blessing, albeit a strange one, Carter-Shaw said.

"This is going to make us better people," Carter-Shaw said. "This happened for a reason. It's very odd, it's very rare, it shouldn't have happened at all, but it did. We just want to take this opportunity as an opportunity and as a blessing."

Carter-Shaw asked for no jail time, and was a bit saddened when the judge sentenced Miller to 21 days in jail and another 159 days on the jail's GPS ankle monitoring system.

Miller pleaded guilty in October to possession of explosive or incendiary parts, a third-degree felony, and a class A misdemeanor charge of reckless endangerment. He has already sold his house in Lehi to start making restitution payments.

The ankle monitoring will allow Miller to work as a welder to support his children, two of whom came to court Tuesday, and to continue paying restitution. A restitution hearing in February will determine the exact amount.

Carter-Shaw said their medical bills are nearing $1.7 million. Yet despite looming financial and physical challenges, Bridger and his mom are optimistic.

"We do believe in miracles," Carter-Shaw said. "We've had several miracles shown to us. I do believe that one day (Bridger) will walk. I believe he will run one day. We're told he's not supposed to. I believe he will."

Bridger is already lifting his left knee and leg up, which the doctors wrote off as impossible.

"I think once we get him out of the pain, he'll be flying," Carter-Shaw said.