Wednesday, June 10, 2009

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7-year-old honored for saving family from fire

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BOSTON -- A 7-year-old was honored Wednesday in front of his entire school for his heroic actions after a fire broke out at his house.

Jack Gilbride, a second-grader at Holy Name Parish School, was recognized in a special ceremony. He received a standing ovation from his classmates and a commendation from the mayor.

"Today we have a young boy who made the right decision and did the right thing," said Mayor Thomas Menino.

In the early morning hours of May 24, Jack smelled smoke in his Roslindale home and knew exactly what to do.

"Heard the smoke alarm, woke up my parents, woke up my grandparents, then my grandparents downstairs," Jack said.  

Jack's whole family escaped the burning home just in time including his 76-year-old grandfather, who's legally blind.

"If it wasn't for him I wouldn't be walking around," Joseph Michaud, Jack's grandfather.

School leaders hope the story's a powerful lesson in fire safety.

Jack said he learned it all in school.

"Whenever we hear the bell ringing, we all line up and we go outside," Jack said.

Dad John Gilbride says the honors are helping make life a little easier for a young boy - who may have saved his family - but lost a place to call home.

"For everything he's going through, it's it should build him up a little bit," said John Gilbride, the boy's father.

The Gilbride family has not been able to move back into their burned-out home, but they have settled into a nearby apartment and they do say they do home to rebuild within the year.

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