A father lifts his little girl. More precisely she is exalted, elevated as a precious gift. The family of 4-year-old Halima Haji beams with joy as they stand before the Utica Common Council. Their gratitude poured toward the six firefighters and one police officer who helped rescue Halima from their burning apartment two weeks ago.
On February 22nd fire forced this family of ten from Somalia out of their apartment. The little girl was left behind. The heartbreaking video that captured the moment of rescue shows one of the firefighters holding a limp, breathless young body. The team effort and training of experienced firefighters made all the difference. They have the confidence and bravery to rush into a burning building and the skill to bring a dying girl back to life.
Firefighters resuscitated her on the scene. It took two more weeks in the hospital to recover from her injuries. Now Halima is out. She's back with family. The heroes who saved her got plaques tonight as tribute to their effort. But, you can bet their true reward was seeing a father lift up his little girl who was just moments away from being lost.
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