Close Ad

Hero of the Week: Selfless Man Uses Arm Cast to Save Elderly Neighbor from Burning Home
powell-hero-of-the-week
Everyday Heroes

Hero of the Week: Selfless Man Uses Arm Cast to Save Elderly Neighbor from Burning Home

Welcome to Hero of the Week, where each week we celebrate the most extraordinary stories of heroism from all over the world. From putting another life before their own to making someone else’s dreams come true, these are ordinary people who are making the world a better place.

The holidays and the new year are usually a time when spirits are high and good deeds are plentiful.


This year, global tensions and political squabbles at home threatened to put a damper on those good spirits. But the story of one Florida man has inspired millions and reminds us all of the power of courage and selfless action.

Hot Stories

How an arm cast saved a life

On a cool Florida night, Altavious Powell smelled smoke while at his family’s Miami Gardens home.

When Powell realized the smoke was coming from his neighbor’s residence, the home of 93-year-old Maria Cabral, he immediately ran to her aid.

According to CNN affiliate WSVN while interviewing Maria’s family, she’d frequently light a candle and place it near the windowsill at night. On this particular night, the candle caught the wall on fire and the home erupted into flames.

RELATED: 80-Year-Old Saves Drowning Child, Only to Realize He Also Rescued His Father 30 Years Prior

Unable to get in the front door, Powell tried using a plastic chair to shatter a window and get inside. When the chair wouldn’t work, Powell used the arm cast he was wearing from a recent injury to break the glass and enter Cabral’s home.

“I said, ‘Maria, Maria, where you at?’ And she said, ‘I’m right here,’” Powell told WSVN.

Powell found Cabral alone in the hallway near her bathroom. Powell took her by the arm and led Cabral out of the home.

"She looked back at me and she just said 'thank you.'" said Powell.

By the time the Miami-Dade Fire department arrived, all visible flames had been extinguished by Powell and the home, although it had sustained great damage, was saved.

A winter miracle

powell-hero

Shortly after, Cabral was taken to the trauma center at Jackson Memorial Hospital and treated for smoke inhalation. Powell remarkably sustained no injury during the rescue and came away a true hero.

Powell, who has lived next to Cabral for most of his life, said he was just happy everyone was safe. “I’m just glad I was able to do it and I got it over with, and everybody is safe now.”

Maria’s son, Fernando Cabral, said “She wouldn’t [have gotten] out of the house alive if that man didn’t come here.”

RELATED READING:

Why Jennifer Hudson Forgave Her Mother's Killer -- Life Stories By Goalcast

At the peak of her career, Jennifer Hudson faced a horrific family tragedy. Hudson's mother and brother were brutally attacked in their family home, and her seven-year-old nephew was kidnapped. What followed was a heart-wrenching manhunt to rescue her nephew and seek justice against the man who took her family. Hudson speaks from the heart in this video on what happened to her family and how she was able to move forward.

Celebrities
ideas and thinking

bright ideas

The 21st century has brought great new opportunities for entrepreneurs. The digital revolution has completely changed the way we live -- and the landscape for aspiring CEOs and innovators.

powerful-business-woman

Keep ReadingShow less
Entrepreneurs
Sad woman arms on face
woman crying on a beach

While life is beautiful in so many ways, it is also filled with struggles and obstacles. We can’t truly appreciate happiness without experiencing some sort of pain.

Pain is inevitable. No matter how much we try to prevent bad things from happening, life will strike. Maybe you will have to face grief, betrayal or a broken heart. These experiences can tear you down in unspeakable ways. Some of them will cause so much pain that you’ll do anything that comes to mind to avoid it or feel a bit of joy, even if just for a few seconds.

Keep ReadingShow less
Authors