Being a big sister comes with a lot of responsibility. Whether we like it or not, we are our brother’s keeper.
Little Lexie Jackson, a 9-year old Nova Scotia girl, has taken this responsibility to heart, and she has done so in spite of her battle with Cerebral Palsy.
Earlier this month Lexie had a chance to exercise that responsibility in a HUGE way.
Lexie, who uses a wheelchair for mobility, was strapped in when she saw her little brother sneak out the patio door and slip into the pool.
Even though the odds seemed against her because of her “disability”, this brave little girl knew she was the only one who could save her brother.
Movement and lack of muscle control are the hallmarks of this developmental disorder, which can make saving a life quite a bit more difficult than if you were to have full command of your body.
According to the Cerebral Palsy Group, over 500,000 people live with this condition.
Unfortunately, that number continues to grow with nearly 11,000 more infants and pre-school-aged children diagnosed each year.
Thankfully though, Lexie wasn’t about to let statistics or her condition prevent her from saving her little brother.
Sneaking out the back door, this little guy wound up in the family pool, thankfully his sister was there to help. Lexie’s story is coming up on @CTV_Liveat5 @CTVAtlantic pic.twitter.com/udKyDNAZfu
— Heather Butts (@HeatherButtsCTV) July 3, 2018
It was the morning of Lexie’s 9th birthday, and her mom and grandmother were busy trying to get their Dartmouth home in order for her party.
Content to sit back and oversee the work, she was seated in her wheelchair in the kitchen when her 18-month-old baby brother, Leeland, woke up from his nap upstairs.
Lexie’s mom, Kelly Jackson, was taking advantage of this break between tasks to run upstairs and change while Nancy Comeau-Drisdelle, Lexie’s grandma, took Leeland downstairs to watch him while she continued to get the house ready.
Babies are crazy, let’s just face it. They have more energy, less fear, and zero qualms about doing things that are dangerous, specifically because they are unaware of the danger.
All in all, babies and toddlers are just difficult to keep up with.
So when Nancy turned around to finish a task in the kitchen, those few seconds were all it took for Leeland to creep out the back door and make his way to the pool.
Lexie’s mom recalls how surprised she was to learn that Leeland could even get out on his own.
the scary thing is that he opened the door and closed it behind him, and he had never opened that patio door before.
Had Lexie not seen him get out, no one would have thought that he would be outside. She knew she had to do something!
How terrifying it must have been to be Lexie in that situation.
Knowing her brother was in danger and that she couldn’t possibly run out to save him, must have been absolutely horrifying.
Being a sister though comes with an undercurrent of strength, and she tapped into that strength with urgency.
Lexi began to scream until she got everyone’s attention.
Nancy remembers how Lexi relentlessly tried to let her know her grandson was in danger of drowning.
She’s yelling and she’s pointing at the door, and I realize Leeland’s not with her.
Kelly also recalls hearing Lexie’s blood-curdling screams from upstairs.
“All of the sudden, I’m upstairs and I hear her screaming like bloody murder. We’ve never heard her scream like that.”
Thank God that this sweet little girl has a set of working pipes on her, or it could have been a very different scene.
Heroes come in all sizes. It was a real pleasure to recognize young Lexi for alerting her mom when her toddler brother made a dash for the pool. @TonyMancini_NS pic.twitter.com/EFaIbBo3Wv
— Office of the Mayor (@MikeSavageHFX) July 4, 2018
Thanks to Lexi’s quick thinking and urgent pointing, Nancy was able to run out to the pool and grab Leeland out of it.
After coughing up a little bit of water, Lexi’s baby brother was found to be fine and well, if not a little shocked.
He was later examined at a hospital as a precaution.
The whole community is so thankful for Lexi’s heroic actions that she received awards from both her local MLA and an Act of Bravery award from the Halifax Regional Police who officially honored her at Halifax City Hall.
Please SHARE this with your friends and family.
Out of everyone who is thankful for this incredibly brave young girl, it is Lexie’s mom Kelly, who feels the most gratitude.
I hugged her, I cried and I still thank her every day, because honestly, in that matter, two seconds makes a huge difference.
A HUGE thank you to Lexie, for reminding us that being a hero is always possible.
