George Allen, 36, was hit as he picked his son and daughter up from school in Lisburn last week.
He remains in a critical condition in hospital but is now "the most stable he has been" since the incident.
His son Geordie, five, and daughter Georgia, seven, were also injured but have been released from hospital.
The incident happened at Killowen Primary School in Lisburn.
In a statement, Mr Allen's wife, Sharon, and her family said the aftermath of the "tragic, freak accident" had been "devastating for us all".
"George was not on his phone at the time of the lightning strike, he does not have any metal plates and he was not holding an umbrella," the family said.
"A hard-working man going to collect his two children from school would not have expected this to happen.
"Had it not been for the fast actions of those at Killowen that day, the outcome would have been tragic."
School staff and parents used a defibrillator on Mr Allen and his son.
The children are "both home and doing well", the family said.
"Through this difficult time the fact that the children have come through as they have is a blessing."
The family also thanked staff at the hospitals Mr Allen and his children had been treated in "for their fantastic efforts and continued care".
A man who was left critically ill after being struck by lightning in County Antrim has "has fought hard and continues to fight", his wife has said.