19-year-old called a 'hero' for running into burning house to save baby brother
A Chicago teen is being lauded as a hero for her selfless act of bravery after running back into a burning building to rescue her baby brother.
“She’s a hero,” Sharon Aikens told CBS Chicago. “She was very brave to go back in there and risk herself getting burnt to just help her brother get out.”
A fire began shortly before 5 a.m. on the second-floor of a home in Greater Grand Crossing, a neighborhood in Chicago, CBS Chicago reports.
Ten people and two dogs were inside the residence as the fire began taking a hold of the home. All but one of the house’s occupants had fled to safely.
Nineteen-year-old Tatianna Wilson had escaped the flames engulfing her burning house when she realized someone was missing: her four-year-old brother Davarion.
The family could hear Davarion’s cries from a room upstairs.
“He was in the room. We could hear him crying,” Tatianna’s sister, Ericka Johnson, recalled.
With no time to wait for emergency responders, Tatianna fearlessly ran back into the scorching house to find her brother upstairs. Fortunately, she emerged from the blaze with Davarion in her arms, carrying him to the front porch.
“My sister, Tatianna, had heard and she went and got him,” Johnson told CBS Chicago. “She just walked into the fire and grabbed him.”
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However, Tatianna’s act of bravery came with a cost.
While she had initially escaped from the fiery home unscathed, according to Johnson, Tatianna was burned on her back, shoulders, neck and legs when she went back in to save Davarion.
“I feel like she’s a hero, because she didn’t have to do that,” Johnson told CBS Chicago. “She could have just left out of the house, and tried to protect herself, but she’d rather risk her life for others.”
According to reports, paramedics began treating the siblings immediately on the house’s front porch and were taken to the hospital in serious to critical condition. Tatianna was taken to the University of Chicago trauma center for treatment, while Davarion was being treated at Comer Children’s Hospital.
Yahoo Lifestyle requested information from the hospital on the status of the patients, and will update the story with their response.
However, the family isn’t the only one lauding Tatianna as a hero. People online are also praising the Chicago teen for her bravery.
“She’s definitely a Hero,” a Facebook user commented. “Praying that her burns aren’t too bad. Praying for a speedy recovery. You are a blessing to your little brother.”
Others online also expressed admiration for her familial love, calling Tatianna “her brother’s earthly angel.”
“Aww! Bless both of their hearts. That's love. Prayers for both. #siblinglove #familybond,” one Facebook user commented on a local story.
Another user wrote, “Such an angel...unconditional love ... you would die for your love ones.”
While many people online praised Tatianna and wished her a speedy recovery, others were quick to ask how they could help their local hero.
“Please let us know if there is a fund set up for her!” one Facebook user wrote.
Yahoo Lifestyle’s requests for comments from the Chicago Fire Department and the Chicago Police Department have not been answered. The cause of the fire is currently under investigation.
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