After accomplishing that, he ran back into the burning home to save his brother, who has cerebral palsy and uses a wheelchair, Channel 2 Action News reported.
This is no ordinary 16 yr old. When his house caught fire & his mom wasn’t home, he saved all of his siblings by himself. He even jumped through flames to get his brother w/cerebral palsy out of his wheelchair & carry him outside. Story at 6:30 on Ch2 pic.twitter.com/vAEQHIMYb0
— Tyisha Fernandes (@TyishaWSB) June 24, 2019
Juderrius Walker's family is hailing him as a hero after the incident Saturday night at their home in Jonesboro, Channel 2 reported. After spotting the flames, he called his mother Chrishandle Gaither, who was at work just after midnight, to say his room was on fire.
"The whole time I'm praying to myself that all the kids get out," Gaither told the news station. "I could hear him directing my 13-year-old, telling him to go and take (two other siblings) out of the house."
There were 5 kids in a Clayton home when a fire started. It was a 16 y/o who saved all his siblings, including his brother w/cerebral palsy. He had to run thru fire, unstrap him, & carry him out. I spoke to this awesome teen. Exclusive live report at 4:44 Ch2 pic.twitter.com/SVvzsjlVHt
— Tyisha Fernandes (@TyishaWSB) June 24, 2019
However, he couldn't stop there. His brother, Jacari, was still inside the home, trapped in his wheelchair, Channel 2 reported.
"I had to jump over the fire to get back in there," the teenager told the news station. "I had to pull the little rest thing from his neck, and then I had to unstrap the things from his stomach, and then I got him up out the chair."
A family salvaged some pics after a fire ripped through their home. This one is of 13 y/o Jacari who has cerebral palsy & is confined to a wheelchair. I spoke to his older brother about how he saved Jacari. You don’t want to miss this at 6:30 on Ch2 pic.twitter.com/u39OPN5yDe
— Tyisha Fernandes (@TyishaWSB) June 24, 2019
He was unable to save the family's two dogs, but their pet turtles survived, Channel 2 reported. A GoFundMe page was set up to help the family replace what was lost in the fire, which includes Jacari's wheelchair and feeding machine.
Cerebral palsy is a group of disorders that affects a person's ability to control his or her muscles, and it's the most common motor disability in childhood, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The symptoms vary in each case.
AJC.com has contacted the Clayton County Fire Department for more information on the cause of the fire.
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