Brave Little 7-Year-Old Rushes Back Into Burning House To Save His Baby Sister

Jan 20, 2021 by apost team

Although 2020 was a dreadful year, many news stories showed us the real meaning of kindness and sacrifice. In many instances, the year also reminded us of the importance of bravery.

Apparently, this bravery, kindness and sacrifice has not just been displayed by health care workers in their efforts to manage the pandemic. Other people have risen to the occasion to assist those in need of assistance. Among these good samaritans is a 7-year-old boy from New Tazewell, Tenn. who saved his sister from a fire in December 2020. He risked his life without hesitation, reminding everyone of the little unsung heroes who walk among us each day.

On Dec. 8, 2020, Chris and Nicole Davidson were having a normal night with their kids. After the family finished eating dinner, the kids went to bed at 8:30 p.m. The couple kissed each one of them goodnight, and before long, they fell asleep. A couple of hours later, a pungent smell of thick smoke woke up Nicole Davidson. Before long, the couple noticed that their house was on fire and that the flames were spreading throughout the rooms fast.

The good news is that both Chris and Nicole Davidson were former firefighters. They knew that they had to act decisively and quickly. In an effort to save his family, Chris Davidson tried to put out the fire by himself. "He grabbed the fire extinguisher trying to buy me time to get the kids, and I grabbed the boys because they were closest to the fire," Nicole Davidson said, according to WVLT.

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The mom rushed into the kids’ bedroom and grabbed Elijah, her 2-year-old son. At the same time, she ushered out her 7-year-old son named Eli. The couple had been fostering Eli for more than one year. The problem came when the couple tried to rescue Erin, their 22-month-old daughter. The raging flames had engulfed the little girl’s room. There was no easy way to get in from inside; what’s worse is that they didn’t have much time to think or plan. 

"The smoke and fire was so thick there was no way I could get to her," Chris Davidson recalled, according to CNN. "We went outside to get to her from the window, but there was nothing for me to stand on to reach up there."

As Chris Davidson tried to look for a suitable way to access the room, Eli was standing beside him, showing his desire and readiness to help. Of course, Eli was small enough to fit through the bedroom window and likely faster than his dad, which means that he could make it into the room a lot quicker than Chris Davidson.

After realizing that, Chris Davidson hoisted Eli up in a matter of seconds, and using his arms, guided the little boy through the window. The 7-year-old boy wasted no time when he got inside. He grabbed his little sister quickly and passed her to his father. Shortly after, he made it out to safety without a scratch. Everything happened unbelievably fast.

There’s no denying the fact that Eli is a unique child and that his act of bravery is something his parents, neighbors, friends and fans will not forget anytime soon. "We couldn't be more proud of Eli," Chris Davidson said. "He did something a grown man wouldn't do." 

"I thought I couldn't do it," Eli admitted later, "but then I said, 'I got her, Dad.' I was scared, but I didn't want my sister to die." Considering how much the fire had spread, it was almost a miracle that Erin was still alive. Also, roughly two dozen firefighters arrived minutes after the heroic rescue, which means that they may not have been able to save the little girl had Chris decided to wait for them.

Unfortunately, when they arrived, almost the entire house had already caught on fire. When the fire officials came back the next day to assess the scene, Josh Miracle, the New Tazewell Fire Chief, said that there was nothing left of the Davidson’s family home.

Considering how the year has been, it’s fair to say that the family’s story is incredibly remarkable, even without putting into consideration the bravery of the 7-year-old boy.

Many families have been struggling in 2020 both financially and emotionally, and the Davidsons are no exception. They have had to endure the difficulty of job loss, but that’s not all. Recently, Nicole’s grandfather died, and the news hit the family hard. The fire incident and losing everything was more like a cherry on top of a devastating year. The family has literally had to start afresh.

While speaking to CNN, Chris Davidson said, "We lost everything that we have ever had. Our entire lives were in that home. Our three cars were also damaged in the fire." "It's devastating," he continued. "We have nothing. You have never been as humble as you are when you don't even have your own underwear to wear."

Shortly after the family experienced the fire, a GoFundMe fundraising campaign was set up to assist the Davidson family. The page was initially set up with a goal of raising $5,000, but it has been able to raise over $340,000. Many who know the family say that they deserve every single dollar of it due to what they’ve faced and how kind they had been as a family before the incident. The Davidsons have already fostered 34 children over the years, and that includes Elijah, Erin and Eli. The couple has since adopted Elijah and Erin.

At the moment, the Davidsons are trying to rebuild their lives, although they’re still devastated by the incident. Even so, they are very thankful for having escaped with their lives. On December 10, Nicole wrote in one of her Facebook posts, "I will forever be so grateful that my family is ok. I know it was God that woke me up."

Clearly, the Davidson family is very strong. Just when they’re happy that the dreadful year is ending, they lose a member of the family, their house burns to the ground, and they nearly lose their little girl in the process. Lucky for them, however, they had Eli and a supportive community behind them.

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