Parents were baffled when their 7-yr-old with cerebral palsy crawled to them at midnight — his urgent words saved them
Along with skill and strength, one also requires the determination and courage to go out of one's way to help or save another. 7-year-old Michael Martinez left everyone stunned when he did the unthinkable to rescue his family, KHOU 11 reported. The boy had cerebral palsy and was in a wheelchair. Despite being unable to walk, when he realized something worrisome, he overcame every obstacle to alert his family. He made a resilient crawl all the way to his parents and managed to speak with them. This extraordinary act saved the lives of seven family members.
The 7-year-old has been through a lot since his birth. His mother, Angie Martinez, has always been supportive and helped him through every hurdle. The duo has had times where things got tough, but they came through stronger and more confident. “Whenever I take him to school, the kids stare at him. He wants to play and wants to run like the other kids. We have our moments where we… Michael and I just cry and just hold each other,” the mom poignantly said. Despite not wanting to be in a wheelchair, the 7-year-old managed to save his parents’ lives along with those present in his home that fateful day.
One night, the boy was in his room when he heard an unusual beeping sound. He had no idea where it was coming from, nor were there any other suspicious signs around. Nevertheless, Michael refused to ignore it. Though he was “scared and shaking,” he decided that he was going to alert his parents. He didn’t leave anything to chance, nor did he neglect calling his doubts out. Despite being in a wheelchair, he decided to crawl and make his way to his parents as quickly as possible. When he told them about the sound, they quickly went to investigate and realized it was coming from their carbon monoxide detector.
According to a GoFundMe set up, it was revealed that they initially thought the beeping was due to a low battery. “Michael's mom, Angie, googled it and it said that 4 beeps meant there is an emergency and you must move to fresh air immediately,” the post revealed. The poisonous gas had been leaking from their stove, and the family had no idea. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, carbon monoxide is a silent but deadly gas that has no odor or visible signs. If inhaled, it can cause serious illness or even death.
Every year, around 400 Americans die from unintentional CO poisoning not linked to fires. An even larger number of over 100,000 visit an emergency department, and over 14,000 are hospitalized due to the poisonous gas' effects. Fortunately, Michael had alerted his parents in time, and they were able to detect the problem and move to safety. Michael's aunt, who was also reportedly in the house, experienced some symptoms after she was roused. Michael was credited for saving his family by going out of his way to call out something unusual, as minor as it may have seemed. His mother believes that had he not alerted them, they all would have breathed in the gas until they lost their lives — silently. “He’s our little hero; he saved our family,” she remarked. The family has set up a GoFundMe to help fund future surgeries and treatment the boy will undergo.