Kidde Hero of the Week: John Shear

The Hero of the Week is brought to you by Kidde Worry-Free Alarms… Be a safety hero for your family. Begin by replacing outdated smoke alarms. Learn other simple steps at Kidde.com. Kidde – Technology that saves lives. Find out how you can nominate a "Hero of the Week" at the bottom of the page.

 

Our Kidde Hero of the Week spotlights John Shear.

Recently, Kix found this story on ABC News and wanted to share it with you!
 

Two years ago, John Shear was working as a paddock guard at California's Santa Anita horse track. When one of the horses had gotten loose, John warned the crowd to clear the area. As the horse charged that direction, John noticed a five-year-old little girl right in its path.  So, the 90-year-old sprung into action and threw himself in front of the girl! Thankfully, she walked away unharmed; however, John wasn’t as lucky. He suffered critical injuries and had to spend seven weeks in the hospital.

Today, at the age of 92, John is back to doing his daily regimen of 30 pushups and even recently was able to meet the now eight-year-old girl whose life he saved. When he thinks about the incident now, John told ABC News, "I knew I was going to get hit. I thought there was a possibility I was going to die but you cannot stop and think should I or shouldn't I. There is a five-year-old girl. I'm 90-years-old. I have had a life. She hasn't had a life. You got to save that life."

Watch the ABC News report in which John reflects on the events of that day and meets the little girl who he risked his life to save:

 

Kix's Response:

Selflessly saving a life at 90 years old?!?! That’s the human spirit at work, folks – I like to think it lives strong in all of us.

 

Nominate a Hero of the Week

Now, we want to know who has made a difference in your life. Nominate a local firefighter, police officer, EMT or someone who is serving our country in the military. It could even be a neighbor, family member or friend who lent a crucial helping hand. Let us know all about the person who you feel is a real life hero by emailing us here and please feel free to send us a picture!