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Kiera Larsen — 10-Year-Old Girl Saves Two Toddlers From SUV While Giving Her Own Life

By Antonio J. Newell
Published on: 12:25 PST, Feb 25, 2016

Kiera Larsen was a 10-year-old girl who took it upon herself to save two toddlers from a critical situation. Instead of “going to get help,” she was the help.

Ten-year-old Kiera Larsen generally made it a point to care for toddlers Adison and Emma, says mother Alissa Jenkins. The toddlers’ mother also noted that Kiera was more like a big sister to the kids. While acting as the kids’ guardian, Kiera Larsen protected the toddlers by pushing them out of the path of a rolling 1999 Mercedes-Benz SUV. According to KGTV-10, the incident happened near Olde Highway 80 near Los Coches Road, in Lakeside, California.

Unfortunately, amid Kiera Larsen’s heroism, the 10-year-old girl lost her life after the SUV hit her — knocking her through a neighboring fence. Fox-5 San Diego reports that she was taken to Sharp Grossmont Hospital for medical treatment. However, after arriving, she died from her injuries.

At the moment, authorities don’t know why the Benz began rolling down the driveway towards the toddlers. However, as mentioned by the source, California Highway Patrol Officer Kevin Pearlstein stated as follows.

“A child died heroically, I mean if you think about it, she sacrificed herself for another small child. We’re going to do an inspection on the vehicle, find out why this happened, find out if there was some sort of malfunction on the vehicle and go from there.”

Nevertheless, Kiera Larsen — a student of Blossom Valley Elementary — is being hailed as a hero for her guardian acts. According to the toddlers’ mother, Larsen will “forever” hold a place in her life. Fox-5 San Diego states that the mother mentioned as follows.

“She is truly a hero. She will forever be my kids’ guardian angel…She saved both my daughters’ lives. These are my two kids that I have and both of them could’ve been gone in an instant and she stepped in and took over and did what she knows best to do — and that’s to protect those around her.

During the interview, the toddlers’ father, Jonathan Gusich, added a few statements.

“She was a big sister to them. She was always looking out for them and apparently she gave her life for my kids. I don’t know how to repay them [perhaps referring to Kiera Larsen’s parents or family], repay her. She must have been the guardian angel yesterday and they’re here because of her.”

A GoFundMe page has been set up for Kiera Larsen. The page has been set up by Nina Larsen. While the description reads that the account was created by the Larsen family, it’s not confirmed if Nina Larsen is Kiera’s mother or a close relative. A recent update was made via the page, as follows.

“The entire Larsen family cannot thank every single one of you for your love, support and prayers. You have no idea how much seeing the support from so many people has helped us during this incredibly tough time. Again, THANK YOU from the bottom of our hearts.”

The proposed goal was set at $30,000. However, the account has only been live for two days, and it’s passed its goal by $18,000 — and counting. So far, 1,437 people have given to Kiera Larsen’s fund.

Likewise, several people via social media have expressed their condolences for the 10-year-old girl while many commentators have praised Kiera’s bravery and courageous efforts.

How does Kiera Larsen’s heroism affect you? Feel free to share your thoughts in the comments section below.

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