As soon as thirty-five year old Jermaine received a call that his mother’s apartment building was burning, he rushed to the scene.
When he arrived, officers and firefighters confirmed the 19-story building was on fire, however they wouldn’t allow him inside to check on his bedridden mother. That’s when Jermaine took matters into his own hands.
Leveraging his experience as a roofer and construction worker, Jermaine proceeded to climb to the 15th floor where he could check on his mother and, if necessary, help her get out.
“I took it upon myself because that’s my mother. There’s no limits. That’s my mother,” Jermaine said in an interview with Philadelphia’s WPVI.
Thankfully, when he reached his mother’s balcony both she and her boyfriend were there. Though shocked, she assured him that she was okay and that the firefighters had contained the fire.
“She was more shocked. She’s not surprised by the things that I do for her. She knows I’ll go over and beyond for her.”
After being assured his sixty-five year old mother was okay, Jermaine had to climb back down to face the officers who originally prevented him from entering the building. He knew his approach was risky from a legal and safety perspective, however doing nothing wasn’t an option.
“All for my mom’s safety, period. I wasn’t worried about mine at all. She can’t get out of the bed or walk around so if there’s a fire she needs help out,” he said.
Everyone made it out safely, however four civilians and three firefighters were treated for smoke inhalation.
Aside from his courage, what’s more remarkable is Jermaine climbed the building injured. WPVI reports he fell and cracked his hip earlier that day.
Nothing can stand between the bond of a mother and her son!