ST. LOUIS – A 6-year-old boy is being hailed as a hero for jumping into action to save his family when their University City home burst into flames. A week later, the family of six that lost everything is in desperate need of help.
Flames ripped through the Langley’s family home on Feb. 13, destroying bedrooms, belongings, and leaving them without a place to live. If it wasn’t for their 6-year-old son, the family believes they would not be alive today.
“The smoke was so suffocating that I couldn’t even go into the room…we were already coughing. I grabbed my kids from the bedroom, and we rushed outside,” Shiann Langley said.
Firefighters with University City arrived to find heavy smoke pouring from Shiann’s bedroom. While the cause remains undetermined, Shiann said she did light a candle before entering the shower.
The fire department says the family’s 6-year-old son, Xander, was the first to sound the alarm–even before the smoke detector.
“I saw some smoke coming out of mommy’s room. So, I just cried, and I said ‘Mommy!’ and then she jumped out of the shower. And we all got out of the house,” Xander said.
The fire destroyed Shiann’s bedroom, burned part of the kids’ room, and left the rest of the house covered in water damage. Now, the family is staying with Shiann’s mother, uncertain of when they’ll have a home again.
“I’m really proud of him for letting me know, because the fire marshal said if we were in there minutes like after, it would’ve been way worse for us,” Shiann said.
Xander, who loves Captain America, now wants to be a firefighter when he grows up.
“I think I would save everyone in the world,” he said.
To help the family recover, their business Graffiti Grub is donating 100% of the proceeds to rebuilding efforts. A king cake preorder is also underway to raise funds.
As of now, the Langleys have no permanent shelter. They told FOX 2 they have to wait at least a year to receive any home insurance funds.
If you would like to help the family, donate to their GoFundMe here.