Real-Life Child Superheros

Bravery and heroism come in all sizes. So often, we view children as too young, small, immature, or inexperienced to help others or make a difference in the world. Time after time, children prove they offer so much more than they are given credit for as they step up in the face of danger and fear to save another person's life. 

16-Year-Old Rescues Mom, Three Kids From House Fire

In March 2025, a 16-year-old young man from Cleveland (Ohio) named Tyler Snowden had just gotten home from work when he heard screaming outside. He looked out the window and saw flames; a nearby house was engulfed, and a mother and her three babies, aged 12, 7, and 10 months, were standing on the roof screaming as thick, black smoke poured out of he windows.

Without hesitation, Snowden grabbed a ladder and ran to the property on the 130 block of Sacramento Avenue.

By this time, the fire had spread to a second home.

The video captured the family on the roof. Suddenly, Sowden grabbed a ladder, crawled up, and helped the children down to safety. Fire crews arrived by this time and helped the mother down from the roof.

The mother and children were transported to a local hospital but were not seriously injured. As for Sowden, he's forever a superhero.

7-Year-Old Took Six Bullets to Save Her Mommy's Life

Alexis Goggins of Detroit, Michigan, rode in a car with her mother, Selenthia Parker, and her mother's friend when Parker's ex-boyfriend, Calvin Tillie, approached the vehicle at gunpoint. He forced his way inside the car and started shooting.

Alexis began screaming amid the chaos.  She shouted, "Don't hurt my mommy," as she jumped to the front of the car, shielding her mother from bullets.

She took six bullets intended for her mom. Alexis was shot in the chest, cheek, chin, right eye, and jaw. Selenthia was shot in the head and arm.

Alexis spent two months in the hospital and underwent several surgeries. She lost her right eye but survived. Selenethia also survived her injuries.

Police arrested Tillie at the scene. He was charged with kidnapping, child abuse, and attempted murder and sentenced to 60 years in prison.

Alexis graduated from high school in 2019.

Call 911

A 6-year-old first-grader handed her school bus driver a note reading, “Call 911." The bus driver did as instructed. The child’s quick thinking saved her mommy's life.

Police found the woman being held captive and suffering from serious injuries. The alleged suspect, Glenroy Miller, had allegedly broken into the home the night before. He attacked the woman multiple times during the night, leading to broken ribs and a punctured lung.

Miller has been charged with kidnapping, domestic assault, and other charges.

In April 2013, a 3-year-old Romanian boy named Gabriel Ruiu accidentally fell into a well on his family's property—the well measured about 30 centimeters in diameter and about 15meters deep.

Emergency crews desperately attempted to rescue the boy from the well, yet digging and other rescue tactics failed; the well shaft was far too tight.

A number of bystanders looked on in anticipation, waiting for rescuers to free Gabriel. When they watched another failed attempt to save the little boy, a teenager stepped up to help save his life.

14-Year-Old Rescues 3-Year-Old From Well

Cristian Marian Becheanu was a 14-year-old 7th grader at the time. His small frame allowed him to easily enter the narrow space and rescue Gabriel. He was the only person present small enough to fit into the well. Rescuers tied him to ropes and a harness and lowered him head-first into the well. It took Cristian about two hours to retrieve the child.

Gabriel was transported to Craiova hospital for treatment. He was placed in intensive care, but healed from his injury without long-term neurological damage. 

Cristian was given the title "Cel moi curajos oltean," which translates to The Bravest Oltean and received awards, gifts, and a scholarship for his good deeds.