In 2019, a young man named Derrick Byrd, who was 20 and lived in Aberdeen, Washington, was hailed as a hero after a fire started in his family’s house. His 8-year-old niece, Mercedes, along with his sister and other kids, were stuck inside as the fire quickly engulfed the building.
Derrick initially helped his sister and two children escape through a window on the second floor. But when Mercedes was too afraid to jump, she went back inside. Without a second thought, Derrick went back into the burning house to rescue her. He got her out safely, but he was badly burned, with second- and third-degree burns on his face, arms, and back.
Even though he was seriously hurt, Derrick later said he had no regrets, and he told reporters, “I’d do it again. I don’t care. I’d run back in there and do it again even if I got burnt worse or died.”