Reunions always feel good, especially between people who’ve helped each other.
Mutual kindness makes it that much sweeter when you meet again.
Xavier Dimples was just 2 years old when his house caught on fire and caused him to pass out, with no vital signs, from the suffocation.
Smoke suffocation is nasty. When you’re trapped in an enclosed space with any amount of it, carbon monoxide enters your airways.
It’s bad enough when it’s the annoying kind from someone smoking or idling their car near you.
But when it’s a full-on burning building, the amount of carbon monoxide reaches deadly levels.
According to Xavier, he “died” that day — until firefighter Jeff Ohs rescued and revived him.
The firefighter resuscitated the toddler, saving his life.
Though that didn’t mean he was back to full strength already.
Even with the resuscitation, Xavier was in a coma for another month afterward.
Carbon monoxide won’t let you off the hook that easily
. Still, better to make it back needing some recovery than not to make it back at all.
According to the National Fire Protection Association, most deaths from fires are caused by suffocation rather than actual burns.
You know, just in case you want a more detailed explanation.
As smoke thickens, the oxygen concentration drops. You can survive, albeit with some nausea and fatigue, even if the oxygen content is as low as 12%.
Now, when it drops to 9%, that’s when it’s really dangerous.
That can easily make someone pass out.
Even lower, and you might die. Xavier seems to have had a close call with oxygen levels around 12%.
The fact that he still needed resuscitation and went into a coma after surviving is all the information you need.
Smoke is no joke.
Xavier would recover and live his own life for two decades until they met again.
Now a 25-year-old, Xavier has a child of his own.
The photos tell the story the best.
Jeff carries the seemingly lifeless Xavier in his arms while smoke escapes from the building behind them.
It’s a picture worth a thousand words.
The tension and uncertainty in those photos are still there 23 years later.
Jeff desperately attempted to revive the little boy, not knowing if he’d make it.
If Jeff hadn’t been there, Xavier’s story would have ended right then and there.
Yet here he is now with a little one of his own, looking back at this moment decades later.
Xavier lamented not being able to thank Jeff in person at the time.
I’m sure even then, knowing he was okay was more than enough for Jeff.
Of course, he did get his chance. He just had to wait for….a really long time.
“I could never repay him for giving me a chance at life, I can only live a great life for him & my son. I owe him my life.” said Xavier in one of the tweets
The meeting between Jeff and Xavier’s son 23 years later is what you check the news for.
Two souls brought together because of a life-saving kindness is the kind of story I wish I’d see more often.
Check out the original Tweet from Xavier down below!
Please SHARE this with your friends and family.
When I was 2 years old my house caught on fire & I was trapped inside, I ended up dying that day & this firefighter, Jeff Ohs, saved me from that building & brought my back to life. Now 23 years later he is holding my 2 year old son. I literally wouldn’t be here without him pic.twitter.com/FLxmKG19DF
— XD (@XavierDimples) May 30, 2023
