A Washington man is rightfully being hailed a hero after charging into a burning home to save his eight-year-old niece.
Reports detail how 20-year-old Derrick Byrd suffered second and third-degree burns on his face, back, and arms, having rushed into the building when he became aware his niece was trapped.
Speaking to KOMO-TV, he said: “Even though I got burnt, I really didn’t care, though. I’d rather get burnt than her. She’s young. She’s still got a lot of stuff going for her. She’s a good kid.”
The fire, at a home in Aberdeen, Washington is believed to have started while Byrd and six other family members were inside, including his sister, Kayla, and her three children.
Byrd caught his nephews, Junior and Royce, when they jumped from a window on the second floor. His eight-year-old niece Mercedes, however, was too afraid to jump after having watched Kayla fall from the roof.
Without thinking, Byrd dashed back into the house to rescue her. Within moments, he could feel the flames on him.
“I could feel it burning me,” he explained.
“I got her and took my shirt off and put it around her face so she wouldn’t breathe in any smoke and I just carried her out as fast as I could.”
True hero
What’s more, despite suffering injuries, Byrd said he would do it again if he had to.
“I’d run back in there and do it again even if I got burnt worse or died.”
Commenting on all those dubbing him a hero, he simply replied: “I can’t say a hero. I’d just say for my niece and nephews, I wasn’t going to let them die.”
What a genuine hero Derrick Byrd truly is. In moments like that, people’s true colours are shown, and Derrick can certainly be proud of his.
Father Prioritizes Dog Over Son: Chooses to Carry Pet Instead
A father’s decision to carry his dog instead of his son has sparked a viral curiosity. A woman recorded the unusual scene from her car and published the video on her TikTok account.
While driving, Luz Elena captured a video of a man carrying his dog in one arm while holding his son’s hand in the other — sparking an online debate about family priorities.
“When your priority is your dog, not the child.” She wrote.
Despite being originally posted in May 2022, this touching video has recently gained popularity on social media with over 4 million views and 5,000 comments.
The overwhelming majority of users came out in defense of the man’s decision, with one writing, “If his leg’s hurt, the child has good tennis shoes.” It’s clear that this father’s love for his dog and his son are both equally important to him.
Men love their pets. No question about that! Check out more articles where people’s admiration for their fluffy loved ones has gone through the roof:
Preview photo credit lega819 / TikTok
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