Brave teen saves family home

Danny Nelson

     Danny Nelson was a hero on December 23rd.  He is my nephew and I will never forget that day.  My sister called absolutely panicked. " Rebecca, what oil will help burns? Danny has burned himself bad and we are going to run him to the hospital?"  I tried to calm her down and told her to put lavender oil on his hands as they were leaving for the hospital.

     They were planning on company to arrive any minute for their work Christmas party.  My sister, took one of those fancy long matches to light some candles, the match split and instantly lit their live, dry Christmas tree on fire.  Within seconds the tree was ablaze, all the decorations on both sides of the room were melted and they were fearful the entire home would burn.  Margie screamed, Danny her 17 year old son came to the rescue,  grabbed the burning Christmas tree with his bare hands and dragged it through 3 rooms out the front door.  When he got it outside all that was left was a twig.  There were burn spots in the hardwood floors, but they were able to contain any other sparks.  Anything flammable or plastic just had melted.

      Danny was later asked, why did you pick up that burning tree?  Because my mother worked so hard this year remodeling our home, I just had to do what I could to save it."  He didn't think, he just acted.  It saved the entire home from burning. Danny had so much respect and love for his mother he would do anything to spare her from dispare, for over a year she worked tirelessness trying to restore that home.

     When they got him to the hospital, they were very concerned about his 3rd degree burns and covered them in a special burn cream, wrapped them and gave him a prescription for pain medicine and told him to return in 24 hours.  He told the doctor "I don't have any pain."  The doctor at the emergency room said, of course you have pain, your just a smartypants teenager. The lavender that Margie poured on his burn took all the pain away before he arrived at the hospital.  He told his mom don't fill the prescription for pain pills I really am fine.  He went out on a date that night with his hand wrapped.
 
     Twenty four hours later they unwrapped his hand and the doctor was amazed because there was no swelling, no infection.  They sent him home with more cream, however Margie first applied the lavender oil, let it sit and then put on their salve.
     Never, never use those long stemmed matches, no matter how pretty they look.  This isn't the only house that almost burned down because of them.

Danny was the Christmas Hero that year.

All grown up
Danny & Jeremy
Liz and Emily

Danny 5 Jeremy 2
Liz 2 Emily 5