Helping in a Dangerous or Troublesome Circumstances - Essay Example

Heroic helpSafety is one of the most important things to people. When terror strike or when there is threat of terror, people try to ensure they are safe from harm. Some people may however extend their care to their family members and close friends. There are however instances when people go beyond their responsibilities and assume a communal role for the safety of others. A testimony of a woman who risked her life to save a little girl from an accident continues to attract my attention because of the level of sacrifice that the woman made to a person that she did not even know.

Jenifer was driving on a high way and suddenly noted a little girl, may be four years old, running across the road, right in front of her. Each way of the road had four lines and she was driving on the second line from the side of the road from which the child emerged. The child seemed to be alone because no one was even following her or was along the road at the point at which she attempted to cross. May be she had lost her guardian somewhere in the streets and was trying to trace the guardian.

The first lane, where the little girl was at the time, appeared safe, from Jenifer’s side mirror. A vehicle was behind her and though it was at a distant, it would take its driver extreme level of caution to avoid a collision had Rachel made an emergency break. Three options existed with decisions to be made within a second a second or two. Jenifer could slow down and move to the first lane to avoid hitting the child and any associated legal and moral liability and this would be a safe option for her.

She would have also tried to stop before reaching the child and shout at her to stop running and even though this had minimal chances of saving the child, it also risked her car to being hit from behind. Jenifer however implemented a third option, one that was even more risky for her and the driver behind her, but offered higher chances of saving the child. She decided to accelerate the car, to reach the child before she crosses into the second lane, and stop the car right in front of her. She explains that even though she did not think of the car behind her then, the driver would have reasonable time to stop the car or to move to the first lane at a lower speed that could avoid running over the little girl.

This succeeded and even though there was an impact between her car and the child, this occurred when the car had already stopped and the child was safe. Luckily enough, the driver behind her had noticed the child and managed to stop the car right behind Jenifer. Even though the incident did not attract media attention and motorists passed by without noticing the exact act that Jenifer did, she saved a life and therefore benefitted the girl, and the girl’s family and friends. Her act identifies heroism that defines manifestation of courage and distinguished traits and success.

she was courageous in taking risks with her car and her life, demonstrated her humane trait in caring for the child, and succeeded in her attempt to save the child’s life (Storm Lake St. Mary’s, 2002). Reference Storm Lake St. Mary’s. (2002). The hero within. Lincoln, NE: iUniverse.