Today, the local newspaper called me a hero for rescuing her from her fire engulfed apartment. But it failed to mention that I could hear her one-year-old crying in the other room and I was just too scared to help him. MMT

Comments

the fact that you SAVED HER is more than enough and is more than most poeple would be willing to risk. it's okay.

I agree. But that must have been an awful time for you. I'm sorry but you must have been extremely brave to even go in. I couldn't of done it.

You sir, are more man than I could ever wish you to be. One life saved and one life lost is better than two lives lost. Don't be hard on yourself. You did what most people could not have done.

Really ohjessicaxo? He feels bad enough as it is? Whether he made the right decision or not, none of us will ever know? What if all three of them would have died... You don't know this? He feels horrible for not being able to save the other, and if you had any sort of compassion at all, you wouldn't have said this. You are fifteen, I understand. But show some maturity, please.

I agree with runner09. That was a cruel thing to say, ohjessicaxo. The guy obviously feels horrible without you rubbing it in more. What's done is done, and you making it worse isn't helping anybody. OP, the fact that you could save one person is amazing. That's more than many people would have done. You were merely following your natural sense of self-preservation; never be ashamed of that.

kudos to you! you did so much more than most people would have, which is usually just stand outside a gawk. And ohjessicaxo, its easy to talk like that until you are actually in that situation. He saved someones life. Thats huge.

I definatly agree with all these people. I would be scared to death. I believe it is human nature to look out for oneself in a terrible situation like that, and you fought that enough to save a LIFE. Thats more then most people will even come close too. ohjessicaxo.....I'd like to see you in that situation. Then we'd see. You don't know the full story.....how bad the fire was, the relationships, where they were, how far into the fire it was, even how old this person is, or how old the girl they saved was. Even if you did know all those details, I honestly don't think have any right to judge them.....because you were not THERE, you are not them. I can tell you right now, it would take a lot....a LOT for me, or a lot of others, to run in to even save one life......let alone 2. I know that I'd feel awful too. We tend to focus on the bad......but you need to know that even for going into that apartment you are a hero......and then saving a life! Thats just incredible. You are obviously a very good person, and I hope your able to come over this guilt and live a life where you know that you saved this girl's life and be proud and happy about that. Good luck :)

ohjessicaxo you're young so maybe I can forgive you for those harsh words on that, but the OP is a hero who did all he/she could do in the situation. To the OP, please do not fell ashamed of being unable to save one life when you saved another.

ohjessicaxo: I'm a fifteen year old girl and scared of a lot of things too. but i just want to suggest that you re-think the situation that we're discussing here because as 15 year old girls, we probably wouldnt run into a flaming building and be mentally or physically strong enough to carry out a fully grown woman, let alone and child as well. assuming that in the first place, we'd be mentally strong enough to even go in. so yeah, we congratulate the OP, because he/she did what a 15 year old girl like you or me, and even a grown woman/man, probably couldnt do. you never know how you'll react until you are in the specified situation.

I agree with ohjessicaxo due to the fact that i have a daughter and if i we're in this man's place i would def. go in for both. that's your job, you picked it. you do it. that's why firefighters have such a hard job because you may die in a fire. but that's the risk you take. Now this women has to deal with the fact that her little baby is DEAD, due to this man being "scared" and that must absolutely SUCK, & im sure she could have heard the screaming if he had.. just imagine that, all of you people with childern.

Now wait. I'm sorry, but I still have to say: But this MMT is 2 sentences long. You are all making INCREDIBLE assumptions. Maybe they aren't a firefighter. MAYBE they didn't even know the people. Maybe they are young. Maybe the person they saved is young. You just don't know. So, I'm sorry. And I understand where your coming from but I just have to say that NONE of us have the right to judge this person that... 1. Already obviously feels AWFUL. 2. Will have to live with this for the rest of their life.....and realizes that. 3. We don't even know. 4. CANNOT change what they did or didn't do. So....just saying. "Don't judge a book by it's cover"

I feel so bad for that woman. As a mother I would much rather my daughter survive than I.

no matter what happened, no matter what we assume, this man is a heroe. he saved a life. whether he chose to not save the child or was literally unable to, not saving another life does not take away the accomplishment of saving a single life in the first place.

i agree with lyssa12!!

You saved a life. It's as simple as that.

I understand where your coming from with wanting your child to be saved. Any good parent feels that way of course. But I have agree with nbehnke11. It is a tragic thing that someoone that young had to die. But there is no changing it. I know not everyone believes in God, so I won't bring that whole thing up. But it's the way it happened....it isn't anybody's fault, no matter what you think, and no matter how much we argue it is not going to bring the child back. By nbehnke11 is right. A wrong doesn't erase the right....the INCREDIBLE right. We have to realize that. And thank you bexter. :) I'm glad for the support

Why do we always assume the life of a young person is worth more than someone slightly older?

Sometimes things just can't go the way we want to. However much we want to save someone, we're still human. He could have died saving the child, and his life is worth as much as any other person. I'd rather good man live long, why are some people so keen to push them to die? We should be proud of them! tooscared, that's a wonderful thing you did. Thanks for sharing it with us.

Can we really blame this person for being scared? I don't think some of you realize the full depth of they did. An experience like this would be incredibly overwhelming. The fact that they had the courage to try and do SOMETHING is in itself incredible. Yeah, one person died. But another person lived, and probably wouldn't have if they hadn't stepped in.

Something similar happened to my best friend who was a 14-year-old at the time. Her house was on fire and she was only able to save one her three little sisters. She tried to save all of them but it just wasn't possible. The flames had engulfed the room the two youngest sisters were in. The firefighters got them out but it was already too late because they had ingested so much smoke. My friend carries guilt in her heart everyday that she didn't try to fight those flames and go in after her sisters. And people like ohjessicaxo don't make it better by telling these people who can't go back and change what they did that they are wrong when in truth they are heroes because both the OP and my friend managed to save one person. How would you feel, ohjessicaxo, if you were being called a murderer because of a situation that was out of your control? I'm sure the OP and my friend would both go back and try again but the truth is you can't go back. You are a true hero OP. Sometimes we just don't know what we will do in a situation until we are in it. Talk about it all you want but you really don't know.

To jremsburger, my friend was one of the daughters of the woman who's children she wasn't able to save. I know her mother wishes all of her children could have survived it but I'm sure she is happier knowing two of her children did than none of them which would have been the case if they had stayed in the house any longer. Now that's something that should Make You Think.

I think lifeincolor said it PERFECTLY. Thank you.

A hero can be a coward too. But it's not our place to pass judgment.

Honestly people, we're missing the whole point! Who CARES how old he is? Who CARES if he's a fireman or not?! HE SAVED A FREAKING LIFE! He wasn't able to get to the child. Jessica you sicken me. What's wrong with him?! What's wrong with YOU? I'd like to put you in that situation. You'd probably run out & not save either of them. Why can't you just appreciate the fact that he saved someone's life?

How can someone try something that is too afraid (or conscious) to try? No one. You did exactly what you could have done, It's neither your fault that you were afraid. Be afraid in that situation was also exactly what you could had done back there. ohjessicaxo also did what she could. I will be as inunderstandable as her if I criticize her. The hope is that we don't know how great we can be tomorrow. Why don't be awesome? AS WE DISCUSS IT HERE 10 OTHER KIDS ARE SUFFERING AT OUR REACH. Let's believe we can be great in the future. Specially the one that is becoming our present. Sorry about my english, (I'm from Brazil)

tooscared: the life you saved may go on to save many more lives, and for that you will be eternally responsible. ohjessicaxo: I pray that you find better ways of receiving attention and help for yourselves. To those who responded: you may have saved her life with the attention you gave her with your comments, whether positive or negative.

ohjessicaxo: Your comment reveals not only your age but also your self-righteousness, insensitivity, and inability to recognize incredible feats. This man saved a life. Stop making teenagers looks bad.

You are brave. If you saved me, I would be thankful with my life!!

I know it must have been so hard, knowing you didnt save them both. But you still saved one persons life, and that can make all the difference.

Add a comment

You must be a member to comment.

Sign Up Now! It's Free!