Many of us are watching the Winter Olympics these days, and we’re inspired by the years of dedication and hard work it takes for athletes to compete on the world stage. Those who win medals often return home to their respective countries as heroes.
While we can applaud these athletes for their accomplishments, the recent story of an eight-year-old boy from upstate New York captured my attention as a real hero.
Boy saves relatives while losing his own life
Tyler Doohan was visiting his grandfather in his mobile home in Penfield, N.Y., on January 20 because his school was off for Martin Luther King Jr. Day. Reportedly, Tyler woke up at about 4:45 a.m. when the blanket covering his sleeping four-year-old cousin caught fire, according to Chris Ebmeyer, chief of the volunteer fire company in Penfield.
Tyler then woke up six of his relatives and helped them escape from the enflamed mobile home. He then ran back into the home where his 57-year-old grandfather was sleeping. His grandfather used a wheelchair and crutches after having a leg amputated due to complications of diabetes. The firefighters found Tyler’s body just a few feet from his grandfather’s. The boy’s uncle was also found dead in another part of the trailer.
Tyler saved the lives of six people. “They all would have died if he hadn’t woken up,” said Ebmeyer. All six survivors suffered minor injuries, including Tyler’s grandmother, two children, two other women, and a man.
I can’t image many other eight-year-olds having the courage to do what Tyler did. It was truly an act of caring and heroism.