Swansea resident honored by Boston Celtics as 'Hero Among Us' for help during car accident
SWANSEA — A town resident was honored by the Boston Celtics as a "Hero Among Us” for her efforts to comfort a scared little girl after a car accident.
Yanire Mendes received the award from the Celtics at their Jan. 15 game against the Chicago Bulls.
In October 2021, Mendes witnessed a car veer off of the highway on Route 140 south in Lakeville, not far from the County Street exit.
According to reports from WCVB, the car collided with several trees and the driver was ejected from the vehicle, suffering serious injuries.
Mendes pulled over, noticed that there was a little girl in the back seat of the car and jumped in to action to rescue her.
The little girl, who was 4 years old at the time of the accident, suffered no obvious injuries, police said at the time.
She was, however, very distressed by what had just happened, and Mendes stayed to comfort the girl after she got her out of the car, and ever after authorities made it to the scene to assist the girl’s mother.
"She was shaking pretty violently. I just put a blanket around her, just held her and consoled her. I just acknowledged what she had already seen, that mom had some injuries and that mom was bleeding. Mom had some boo-boos, but there are some great men that are on their way," Mendes said to WCVB in October 2021.
Lakeville Fire Chief Michael O’Brien also told WCVB at the time: “She had a mother's presence about her. I asked her how many children she had without knowing and she said three. She was a mom at that moment, standing in for the actual mom, which is what that baby needed at the time.”
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For her selfless actions, the Boston Celtics honored her as a “Hero Among Us.”
The Celtics started the Heroes Among Us program in 1997, to honor “individuals who have made an overwhelming impact on the lives of others,” according to the program’s website. At every home game, the team honors these citizens with a presentation on the court.
According to the Heroes Among Us site, more than 850 people have received the award so far.
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This program is presented by the Mass State Lottery, with additional support provided by 98.5 the Sports Hub and NBC Sports Boston.
To nominate a Hero, visit https://bit.ly/3ucjqXV.
Herald News/Taunton Daily Gazette copy editor and digital producer Kristina Fontes can be reached at kfontes@heraldnews.com. Support local journalism by purchasing a digital or print subscription to The Herald News and Taunton Daily Gazette today.
This article originally appeared on The Herald News: Yanire Mendes of Swansea a Celtics Hero Among Us for selfless actions
