A 10-year-old girl died a hero and has inspired an incredible outpouring of support since the news broke that Kiera Larsen pushed two young children to safety before being struck and killed by a car in Lakeside, Calif.
Fox 5 San Diego reports that it isn't exactly clear why an empty Mercedes SUV started rolling backwards down a driveway where children were playing, but what authorities do know is that Larsen reacted quickly by shoving the 1-year-old and 2-year-old girls out of its path just before she was struck herself. KGTV San Diego reported that Larsen was pushed through a fence and later succumbed to her injuries at the hospital.
“She is truly a hero. She will forever be my kids’ guardian angel,” the girls' mother, Alissa Jenkins, told reporters. “These are my two kids that I have and both of them could’ve been gone in an instant and she stepped in and took over and did what she knows best to do -- and that’s to protect those around her.”
Since news of the accident broke on Feb. 23, thousands of people have shared and contributed to a GoFundMe page set up to help Larsen's family with expenses. As of this writing the page had raised more than $49,000.
Wrote one donor in the comments on the page, "Most live their entire lives and don't contribute to this world as much as your daughter did during her short time—she is, and will continue to be, an inspiration for all."
