Unquestionably, a grandmother and their grandchild share a special link; this heartbreaking tale may be the best example of this.
A Vietnam War veteran who received a Purple Heart is now being hailed as a hero after giving his life to protect his 3-year-old granddaughter from an Oklahoma house explosion.
Army veteran Don Osteen, 69, passed away on Monday from a heart attack after battling for his life for days, according to family members who spoke to CNN.
On September 19, while making lunch, Don lit a candle near to the stove and was standing between 15 and 30 feet from the front door when a strong explosion happened.
The 69-year-old took immediate action when he noticed his 3-year-old grandchild, Paetyn, below the falling roof.
What a great and brave granddad, who snatched the young girl out of the terrifying flames and carried her to safety.
”After saving my daughter’s life, he then hiked up a driveway that goes a quarter of a mile through the woods and through and back up a steep creek bed,” Don Osteen’s son, Brendon, told CNN.
Osteen and Paetyn were both transported to Integris Burn Center in Oklahoma City following the horrible event.
The house was completely demolished.
Osteen was in grave condition when he was hospitalized; he had a collapsed lung, multiple broken ribs, and burns covering 70% of his body. Paetyn has burns covering 30% of her body.
”Even with over 78% of Papa’s body covered with 3rd degree burns with flesh hanging off his body, a punctured lung and most ribs broken, he carried Pae down the road over 1/4 of a mile to find help,” the family said.
Don Osteen passed away from his wounds on Monday.
Bank First United (Seminole, Oklahoma)
Osteen, a Purple Heart recipient and former Army soldier, was rendered crippled as a result of a grenade explosion in Vietnam.
Brendon Osteen stated, “He was an old man who shouldn’t have been able to do what he did.”
But when Osteen saw that his granddaughter was in danger, he unexpectedly acquired amazing power.
“He knew that he did his job by saving the life of his Boo Boo Chicken,” Brendon wrote on Facebook.
“He loved my daughter beyond unconditionally. And he gave it all for her to live. He was a great God fearing man who impacted so many people. And he will be missed dearly.”
Little Paetyn is still in the hospital, but she is improving, according to the family.
“[Doctors] are saying they can’t believe the progress she’s made so fast as a toddler with her severity of burns,” Brendon wrote on Facebook.
“This little girl is so strong and fights so hard to cooperate whenever the nurses come in messing with her. We all can only imagine how much hurt she is dealing with physically and mentally.”
When the nurses come in and try to play tricks on her, this little child fights so hard to cooperate. We all have no idea how much mental and physical pain she is experiencing.
The family has started a GoFundMe campaign to raise money for the young girl’s medical expenses.