Avengers Assemble To Hail Hero Young Boy Who Saved His Sister From Dog Attack; Chris Evans Sends Him Captain America Shield

Bruce Haring
·6 min read

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Heroes come in all shapes and sizes. And apparently, all ages. Case in point: Bridger Walker, a 6-year-old boy who jumped in to save his 4-year-old sister from a dog attack at the cost of his own safety.

The attack left him with huge bite marks and bruises. Bridger underwent two-hours of surgery and sustained more than 90 stitches, according to his family. Asked by his father why he jumped between his sister and the dog, the family quoted him as stating, “If someone had to die, I thought it should be me.”

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When news of his bravery reached the media, some of his famous friends reached out.

So far, Anne Hathaway, Chris Evans, Mark Ruffalo, Tom Holland, Hugh Jackman, Zachary Levi, the Russo brothers, and Robbie Amell have reached out in various ways to the Walker family. Evans gave the boy an authentic Captain America shield as a gift.

The young boy’s aunt started an Instagram page and shared that Bridger is an Avengers fan, which caught Hathaway’s attention.

“I’m not an Avenger, but I know a superhero when I see one,” Hathaway wrote on Instagram alongside photos of Bridger and his sister. “I can only hope I’m half as brave in my life as you are in yours, Bridger. Wishing you an easeful recovery, and many cool looking rocks. Hey @markruffalo, do you need a teammate??”

“May we follow Bridger’s example, approach the world as a child, and bring greater peace to our own homes, communities, states and countries,” the family said in a statement.

The aunt’s Instagram account provided information on a conversation with Tom Holland:

View this post on Instagram

Bridger’s parents @robertwalker307 and @teilawalker have asked that I share more details of his story. It’s hefty but worth the read. If you only have time for a piece of it, skip to the end. #BridgerStrong EDIT: Vamos a hacer una traduccion en español, pero toma tiempo. Gracias por su paciencia. 😅

A post shared by Nikki Walker (@nicolenoelwalker) on Jul 15, 2020 at 6:31pm PDT

Chris Evans provided a video message to the boy:

View this post on Instagram

Have y’all noticed that I have no idea what I’m doing yet? #UmmmIAccidentallyWentViral? When I first posted for Bridger, I expected maybe 500 likes at most and maybe a couple dozen reshares. But here we are. So much love from all walks of life (including a few celebs)! And we just got off a call with a friendly neighborhood idol. (Pic is of Bridger’s reaction right after the call.) Bridger is over the moon! Can’t wait to show him what’s next: a message from some guy who doesn’t like bullies. Gotta wait for the stardust to clear from his eyes first, though. Mission accomplished, everyone! We can’t thank you enough. #BridgerStrong EDIT: I feel like I should also mention that Bridger has also loved all of the other videos and messages I’ve shown him from all of you. We might not be able to get to everyone right away, but your messages are no less appreciated.

A post shared by Nikki Walker (@nicolenoelwalker) on Jul 15, 2020 at 11:22am PDT

Warning: the slide show below includes a graphic photos of Bridger’s injuries:

View this post on Instagram

Hey, all. Please, share my nephew’s story so that it gets as much exposure as it can. We know that our little hero would love some words of encouragement from his favorite heroes. On July 9th, my six year old nephew Bridger saved his little sister’s life by standing between her and a charging dog. After getting bit several times on the face and head, he grabbed his sister’s hand and ran with her to keep her safe. He later said, “If someone had to die, I thought it should be me.” After receiving 90 stitches (give or take) from a skilled plastic surgeon, he’s finally resting at home. We love our brave boy and want all the other superheroes to know about this latest hero who joined their ranks. @tomholland2013 @chrishemsworth @robertdowneyjr @markruffalo @prattprattpratt @twhiddleston @chadwickboseman @vindiesel @chrisevans EDIT: I just finished visiting with Bridger at his home. His wounds are looking so much better! He’s in great spirits, and his awesome personality is intact. He can’t smile too widely yet, but he was grinning as I read some of your comments to him. I’d also like to mention here that the dog’s owners are really great people who have been nothing but kind to Bridger and his family. We feel no resentment toward them at all, and—if anything—there’s only been an increase of love between our families as a result of this incident. EDIT 2: Once again we’re blown away by the amazing comments and messages that Bridger’s receiving. I’ve had lots of inquiries about a GoFundMe. Bridger’s family has asked that any one wishing to help out financially can, instead, donate to @mission_22 or @wwp. Bridger is also a huge fan of Science, especially Geology. So I’m going to start a post where people can share with him pictures of cool rocks that they see. EDIT 3: Once again, everyone’s kindness has meant so much to us. I’m trying to get to all of the messages that I can, but it may take some time. For those who have inquired about sending Bridger some rocks, here’s the address to use: Bridger Walker P.O. Box 22141 Cheyenne, WY 82003 #BridgerStrong

A post shared by Nikki Walker (@nicolenoelwalker) on Jul 12, 2020 at 8:53am PDT

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