Photo courtesy of carnegiehero.org
A Mississippi man is being posthumously honored as a hero for his attempt to save a child from a burning home in 2018.
On December 19, 2018, 27-year-old Isiah Pierce and his girlfriend were sleeping when their Laurel home caught fire. As his girlfriend guided her three oldest children outside, Pierce rushed back into the burning home in an attempt to save her 1-year-old daughter, Mahogany Brownlow. Tragically, Pierce did not make it back and their bodies were eventually found by firefighters in her bedroom, where they died of smoke inhalation.
For his heroic effort, Pierce has posthumously been awarded the Carnegie Medal, which “recognizes persons who perform acts of heroism in civilian life in the United States and Canada, and to provide financial assistance for those disabled and the dependents of those killed helping others.”
According to the organization’s website, those who are selected for recognition by the Commission are awarded the medal, and they, or their survivors, become eligible for financial considerations, including one-time grants, scholarship aid, death benefits, and continuing assistance.
