(CBS) — An 11-year-old Barrington boy seriously injured when he was struck by a Metra train last week is improving, officials with his school district said Monday.

The Barrington 220 School District identified the injured boy as Dominc Szymanski, a fifth-grader at Hough Elementary School.

Dominic was struck by a Chicago-bound commuter train around 6 p.m. Friday at Illinois Route 59 near Lake Cook Road. Passersby and police officers immediately began administering first aid as paramedics rushed to the scene.

Among the Good Samaritans was hair stylist Trevor James, who helped tend to the boy before he was taken to Lutheran General Hospital. James had been working at a nearby salon when someone alerted him to the accident. He ran to the scene with towels to keep the young man warm.

“He was totally in shock, and it really got to me,” James told CBS 2’s Mike Puccinelli over the weekend. “The police officer was asking him what his favorite subject in school was, and he said, ‘Reading.’ And I about lost it, it really killed me inside.”

“He kept asking if he was going to die, and we just kept telling him he’s going to make it – everything’s going to be OK,” said James, who praised the efforts of people at the scene.

District 220 officials said Dominic is doing “much better,” is in stable condition and is expected to have additional surgery. His family says his spirits are good and he has received cards and well-wishes from classmates.

The family gave the district permission to release a photograph of Dominic.