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Terry Newman: The young heroes of Tumbler Ridge

In the midst of all the chaos and terror, two young female heroes sprang into action to help their classmates

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This week, tragedy struck the quiet town of Tumbler Ridge, B.C. What should have been a normal school day turned into an unimaginable nightmare when 18-year-old Jesse Van Rootselaar entered the small community’s secondary school with a modified handgun and a long gun, taking the lives of five students and one educator, while injuring at least 25 others, after killing two family members at home. In dark times like these, it can feel like the word “humanity” has lost all meaning.

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But in the midst of all the chaos and terror at Tumbler Ridge Secondary School, two young female heroes, Maya Gebala and Maddie Levesque, sprang into action to help their classmates, reminding us of what it means to be human. Both girls should be nominated for the Cross of Valour — the highest distinction that can be awarded in this country for exceptional acts of courage.

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These two 12-year-old girls, who never should have known such horror, exhibited the kind of bravery that is rare, even among adults.

Van Rootselaar entered the school, killing one victim in a stairwell and then heading to the school’s library. According to family members, in an attempt to save her classmates, Gebala tried to lock the door of the library to stop the shooter from entering. When she realized she was unable to secure it in time, she ran and hid under a table. She was then shot twice, in the head and neck, and remains in critical condition.

Gebala’s cousin, Krystal Hunt, commended a student, whose name hasn’t been revealed, who she said saw Gebala’s finger moving and called for help. “She wouldn’t be here today if it wasn’t for her student friend that saw her finger move and said, ‘I think she’s still alive,’ and they hauled her out of there.… She got quick care because of that child … could have saved her life,” said Hunt.

And there are more heroes. In an interview with CTV News, Lance Younge, the father of deceased victim Kylie Smith, told reporters, “There’s a hero named Maddie Levesque who did CPR on my daughter for 45 minutes. And she was the one who came and told us nine hours later that our daughter had passed, because the police hadn’t said anything to us.

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“Like, these are the heroes. You want to put someone’s picture up on the news? Put Maddie’s picture up. Put my daughter’s picture up. Put Ticaria and Abel and Ezekiel and Maya, who’s still fighting for her life. Put all their pictures up. Let’s stop giving this psychopath the recognition, because these kids were lost before they got to become teenagers. So let’s put their pictures up please and remember them.”

A GoFundMe page has been set up to support family members affected by the Tumbler Ridge tragedy.

As for the Governor General’s awards for bravery, there are three nomination levels, with the highest being the Cross of Valour, followed by the Star of Courage and the Medal of Bravery. There is no limit to the number of individuals who can be nominated and win in a single year or for a single event.

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People wanting to nominate a hero must write a description explaining why they are nominating the individual and for which award. The submission will then go to the Canadian Decorations for Bravery Advisory Committee. Any nominations recommended will then go to the Governor General for approval.

In the coming weeks, we’re likely to hear even more stories about these incredible children who not only survived this traumatic event, but sprang into action to save others, as well as educational workers and emergency service personnel.

In dark times like these, stories about heroes remind us what it really means to be human.

National Post tnewman@postmedia.comTwitter.com/TLNewmanMTL

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