KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- A 10-year-old boy with bacterial meningitis was near death, but his family believes doctors and prayer pulled him through.

J.P. Decker spent more than two weeks in a hospital. Thursday, his father said that the fourth-grader is on the road to recovery.

Originally, Decker's parents thought J.P. had a sinus infection. Within hours after a trip to their doctor, they discovered he had bacterial meningitis, which is a serious infection of the fluid that surrounds the brain and is in the spinal cord.

Greg Decker, J.P.'s father, said his son was in a coma for almost five days. Doctors prepared the parents for the worst.

"He was very up front with us and said (J.P.) may not make it through the night," Decker told KMBC's Bev Chapman.

Word of J.P.'s illness spread quickly at his school, St. Elizabeth in Kansas City. A rosary Mass was organized and prayers began to pour in, Decker's parents said.

J.P.'s room is covered with cards, and his condition continues to improve.

"He's walking, he's talking, he's hard to keep up with at this point," Decker said.

The boy's family believes it was a miracle that he survived.

"There were many things that could have gone wrong, minute to minute, day to day, but they didn't. I believe it's the power of prayer and also great care from Children's Mercy Hospital," Decker said.

For more information about bacterial meningitis, visit www.cdc.gov.

A fund has been set up to help the family with medical costs. Donations can be sent to:

J.P. Decker Fund
Catholic Family Credit Union
8330 Ward Parkway, Suite 110
Kansas City, MO 64114