Teen getting off bus heard elderly neighbor’s strange cries—his brave action saved her life
A person's courage and attention to detail might change the outcome of a harrowing situation. A 15-year-old managed to save his elderly neighbor because of his courage as well. The teen was just getting off his school bus when he heard cries for help from his elderly neighbor, Evelyn. The woman in her 80s had noticed a fire in her house and was calling for help to get out of the place. The teen boy, Xaiveyon McMillan Taylor, knew that something was wrong and rushed inside the house to help her, per CBS News.
Evelyn had been a school crossing guard before and people in the neighborhood had a lot of respect for her. "She is everybody's family, she's everybody's grandmother," Tallula Thompson, Taylor's mom, expressed. So she was really proud of the fact that her son stepped up to help their neighbor. "He's autistic. He's very intelligent, but he's never experienced anything like this before. So, he tried to put it out and when he couldn't, he pulled her out of the house." Many people in the neighborhood explained that the old woman had dementia and had gone back inside the house after she had gotten out because of the fire. So Taylor had to go inside the house to get her out.
"When I got to the kitchen, I saw the engulfing flames. They were small, and I was like, Oh my God. I had to grab her by the hand and had to pull her to get out of the house," the teen revealed. The woman ended up re-entering the house several times and the teen had to enlist help from his mom to keep her safe. He also called 911 to ensure help reached the old woman at the right time. "Evelyn threw her arms around him and thanked him so graciously for saving her. Xaiveyon is our hero," Tracy Musilek, a neighbor, told the outlet. Taylor was happy that he could help Evelyn at the right time. The old woman ended up losing her house because of the fire, but was grateful to be alive.
"I'm very proud of what he's done. Of course, I am, because who knows, if she didn't call him up there, she would probably still be in there trying to do it herself and we might have lost her," Thompson shared. Cletus Lee, the mayor of the North Braddock area, was working to make sure that Evelyn had clothes and a place to live. He also hoped that he could help the teen get recognition for his courage. The cause of the fire was still under investigation. People applauded Taylor for his efforts in the comments section of the video.
@pissedoffpennsylvanian wrote, "Beautiful, well-raised, intelligent young man. So proud of you and so happy Ms Evelyn made it out, too." @breathless8075 commented, "I just love that young man. I can tell that his mom raised a wonderful young man with a whole lot of love in his heart and I know that god will be watching over him and his family and the elderly lady whom he saved." @donnacollins1356 remarked, "God bless you, sunshine. You are a hero for saving 'Grandma.' She is very lucky to have you."