The family members of the little boy had been sleeping when he heard the beeping sound of the carbon monoxide detector.
We've come across stories where people credit the Almighty or believe in just plain old luck in instances where they're saved from a situation that could've, otherwise been quite tragic. However, in this story today, it was a 7-year-old boy with cerebral palsy that saved his entire family from being gassed in the most unbelievable way.
Michael Martinez is being hailed as a hero by his family members after he somehow managed to save them from a carbon monoxide leak inside the house. According to CBS affiliate KHOU, Michael was born at 27 weeks weighing just 3 pounds. He was diagnosed with cerebral palsy as a baby and has been relying on a wheelchair to move around. However, he turned out to be the hero who saved his family from looming danger. “I thank God he’s here,” his mother, Angie Martinez told the outlet.
Defying all odds, Michael crawled to his parent's room to tell them about the beeping sound he had been hearing in their home in Atascocita, Texas. As it turned out, the beeping sound was the family's carbon monoxide (CO) detector. Fortunately for the Martinez family, Michael's alertness and strong will saved the family from being fatally poisoned by the odorless, and colorless gas. Calling her son a "hero," the mum told the outlet, "He's our little hero. He saved our family."
KHOU reported that Michael's seven family members were in deep sleep at the time of the incident. Even though the brave 7-year-old wasn't sure what the beeping sound meant, he was sure that he had to warn his parents about it. "I was shaking because I was scared," Michael recalled. When all the family members had woken up, they found out that the ominous sound was trying to alert them about the carbon monoxide leaking from their stove.
As per the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), carbon monoxide is a colorless, odorless, tasteless, and deadly gas. It is also known as the silent killer. Inhalation of the gas leads to poisoning where the victims experience headaches, dizziness, weakness, vomiting, upset stomach, chest pain, and confusion. Sometimes, it can lead to a person to pass out or even die.
Angie and Michael's sister revealed that both of them experienced some symptoms of CO poisoning after they woke up. If it was not for the little boy, the Martinez family would have been handling quite a tragic situation. Even though Michael is a hero to his family, he still faces a lot of challenges when it comes to the world outside his home.
"Whenever I take him to school, the kids stare at him," Michael's mother told the outlet. "He wants to play, and he wants to run like the other kids. We have our moments where we … Michael and I just cry and just hold each other."
Even Michael who's a happy little boy has dreams of his own. He told the outlet, "I don't want to be in a wheelchair." Like every other parent, Angie wants the best for Michael and wishes to provide her son with a motorized wheelchair pretty soon. She also dreams of the day when she would be able to see her hero walk.
The CDC has recommended people install a battery-operated or battery back up carbon monoxide detector in their homes so that they can be safe from a near-miss tragic incident like that one that almost took place with the Martinez family. They also asked people to check the batteries every spring and fall.
The family has set up a GoFundMe page to fulfill their dream of buying a motorized wheelchair for their little hero. The page revealed, "Michael will be undergoing future surgeries and therapies to help him be able to walk. That is his desire of his heart is to one day walk. Let's help out this hero and please donate whatever God has put in your heart to give this hero."
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