The Neighbor

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The Neighbor
Awakened by screams one freezing morning in December, 2004, John Cammarata stumbled out of bed and over to the window. A house across the street was on fire. He dialed 911, and then threw on sweats and ran outside.

At 40, Cammarata suffered from a cardiac condition and had recently undergone an angioplasty. He'd only been back to work as a New York City bus driver for three months. But the owners of the burning house, the Gallos, had four foster children. He wouldn't be able to live on this block if he stood by while they died. Behind him, his wife, Denise, called, "Think about your heart!"

Holding his breath, he went into the house three times until he'd pulled everybody to safety. As power lines exploded overhead, he ran door to door, getting other families out of their homes. The next day Cammarata awoke to find himself labeled a hero on the front page of the New York Daily News. And when he showed up on his bus route, passengers applauded.

Back to Everyday Heroes 2005

From Reader's Digest - April 2005

 

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