They say heroes come in all shapes and sizes, and this story certainly proves that adage true. On her ninth birthday a little girl in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia with cerebral palsy did everything she could to save her baby brother from drowning.
It was a busy day, with Lexie’s mom and grandmother running around to prepare for her birthday party.
Lexie was turning nine, and it was a beautiful day so everyone wanted to celebrate! Lexie’s mother, Kelly Jackson, and her grandmother, Nancy Comeau-Drisdelle, had been taking turns getting ready and getting everything set up. When Lexie’s baby brother woke up from a nap, Jackson went upstairs to get dressed, leaving Comeau-Drisdelle to watch the kids.
Lexie was the only one who noticed that something was wrong.
Lexie was in her wheelchair in the kitchen, watching the preparations happen around her. When her grandmother set down her 18-month old brother, and then turned her back for a few moments, Lexie was the only one who saw what happened next.
With all the activity and preparations happening that day, Lexie’s mom and grandma forgot to communicate to each other that the door that leads to the backyard pool was unlocked. And although he had never done it before, Lexie’s brother Leeland was able to open the door, close it behind him, and walk outside towards the pool.
When she saw what was happening, Lexie did everything she could to alert the adults.
Watching her baby brother toddle towards the pool, Lexie immediately knew something had to be done. According to both her mother and grandmother, Lexie started screaming as loudly as she could, trying to alert them. She also pointed towards the pool, and that was when the adults realized the danger Leeland was in.
According to her mother, this was unusual for Lexie. She says,
“We’ve never heard her scream like that.”
By raising the alarm, Lexie made it possible for the adults to spring into action.
After hearing Lexie scream, Nancy Comeau-Drisdelle and Kelly Jackson rushed over to her. They could then see what she was pointing at and they knew they had to act fast.
Lexie’s grandmother rushed out into the backyard but couldn’t see Leeland at first. When she finally saw him, he was in the water at the edge of the pool. She ran over and took him out. Leeland promptly coughed up some water. Although they ended up taking the baby to the hospital as a precautionary measure, he was completely healthy.
Lexie’s grandmother had powerful words about Lexie’s impact that day.
“You don’t need to be able to walk and talk,” Lexie’s grandmother, Nancy Comeau-Drisdelle, told CTV Atlantic. “You can still make yourself heard and you can still help. And yes, she did save his life.”
Lexie’s mom is eternally grateful for what her daughter did.
“I hugged her, I cried and I still thank her every day,” Jackson said. “Because honestly, in that matter, two seconds makes a huge difference.”
Jackson knows that if Lexie had not reacted as quickly as she did, this story could have ended very differently. Lexie saved her brother’s life.
Her heroic actions have been celebrated by many people, even the mayor.
Lexie was honored by the Halifax Regional Municipality, of which Dartmouth is a part. According to the BBC, Halifax’s mayor Mike Savage made this important point:
“Heroes come in all sizes.”
To learn more about Lexie’s heroic act, watch the video below.
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