"Be Happy Attitude" "Gratitude"
"A Hero at 13:Courage, Compassion, and the Ultimate Act of Bravery"
BALTIMORE, MD, November 19, 2025 -- This 13-year-old literally placed his body on a six-year-old, who was yelling, crying, for fear that he might be shot dead. The two of them were about an arm's foot apart, under a pew as their shelter. Luckily, neither of them was killed that day.
What struck me most, and what I would like to emphasize about this video are the following:
1. When asked whether he, the thirteen-year-old knew he had been shot, and what went through his head the moment he realized this he said at first he didn't really know; that when he raised the clothing he had worn, that was when he saw blood, and realized he had been shot.
2. When asked why he placed his body to defend and make sure the six-year-old boy was ok, he said that he realized the six-year-old was much younger than he: he was screaming, yelling at the top of his voice and he, the thirteen-year old felt obligated, perhaps compelled to help this poor six-year-old; that if he were in his situation, crying for help, other older people than he, would do the same thing for him. That's when tears rolled down my face as I watched the CNN presentation that day.
3. Per my observation, as I watched this episode, I recall the interview asking this boy if he recalled what happened next. The thirteen-year-old said that the Ambulance came; that he was rushed into the Emergency Room.
4. The Interviewer said something like this: "I hear you said something to the Doctor, before the surgery; do you remember what you said, and do you mind sharing it with me? The thirteen-year-old said that he asked the doctor to pray with him first! And he did! I lost it; I was tearing up again as I marveled at this boy's upbringing by his parents! What a hero! The world needs people like thus thirteen-year old and his parents.
5. I recall the CNN anchor, Andersen Cooper saying something like this: that he understood that the thirteen year-old got a letter from the mother of the six-year-old: what is that about? The mother of the thirteen-year-old, who was sitting next to her son during this interview chimed in, saying that they, (she and her husband) got a letter from the mother of the six-year-old thanking them and my son for saving the life of their six-year-old son!
My emotions at that time were a standing ovation for what is unfolding right before my face as I watched this clip. That's what I call "GRATITUDE" That's what I would like to share with the world; the example of this heroic thirteen-year-old; his bravery his giving-all he is and all he has, at that moment, even at the risk of losing his own life! What a hero, he is! As I watched this clip on the TV, I recalled that the Bible says: "In ALL things, give thanks (to God)! ALL THINGS, AND ALL TIMES mean in chaos, in troubled times, and in EVERY SITUATION that we find ourselves. The incident was a shocking remembrance that we live in troubled times. "We, the People", should NEVER worry that our precious little ones would kiss us goodbye when they leave for school in the morning, BUT MAY NOT RETURN TO US, because of the insane mind of people like the gunman who shot and killed, reportedly a number of innocent school children on that day. To make it worse, the incident took place inside a Catholic Church in MN. THINK ABOUT THAT: LET IT SINK IN FOR A MOMENT. WHERE ELSE IS SAFE? WE ARE LIVING IN VERY TROUBLED TIMES, FOLKS!
I believe that the example of the heroism, bravery, valor, and empathy shown by this thirteen-year-old is a prime example what ALL PEOPLE should emulate. This thirteen-year-old is worthy of our highest esteem and accolades. KUDOS TO HIM AND HIS FAMILY FOR RAISING HIM THE RIGHT WAY.
I STAND AT HIGH ATTENTION TO SALUTE HIM AND HIS FAMILY.
About the Author:
Dr. Akinyemi's "Be Happy Attitude" is filled with extreme gratitude as he memorialized and takes his readers through an incident that changed the whole course of human history: the infamous "911" of September 11, 2001, which, he recalled, could have claimed his life as it did over three thousand people. God's Amazing Grace, he recalls, was that he DID NOT ATTEND A SCHEDULED MEETING AT THAT EXACT SPOT THAT THE PLANE HIT THE PENTAGON! He recalls a "PTSD-like trauma of that day caused him to memorialize to, and honor the lives of those who died on that fateful "911". He was so shaken by the event that he promised to, and he built a "mini" Pentagon, in the form of a gazebo, at the back of his house a few years later. It's his personal way of expressing his profound gratitude and empathy for the families of those who perished on that day, twenty-four years ago. Dr. Akinyemi was born in Nigeria, West Africa. He immigrated (legally, I might add, as an F-1 Student Visa), to the USA at age 21, to seek higher education beyond high school. He has written and published six books, including "Coming 2 America", "Beyond 80", "Meet My Mother", "I Am Scared, VERY SCARED!" "Belonging", and "Impossibilities Are A Prelude To Possibilities". He lives in Maryland with his family, including daughter, Adedoyin, son, Olutobi Akinyemi, and grandsons Isaiah and Joshua, and their parents.
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What struck me most, and what I would like to emphasize about this video are the following:
1. When asked whether he, the thirteen-year-old knew he had been shot, and what went through his head the moment he realized this he said at first he didn't really know; that when he raised the clothing he had worn, that was when he saw blood, and realized he had been shot.
2. When asked why he placed his body to defend and make sure the six-year-old boy was ok, he said that he realized the six-year-old was much younger than he: he was screaming, yelling at the top of his voice and he, the thirteen-year old felt obligated, perhaps compelled to help this poor six-year-old; that if he were in his situation, crying for help, other older people than he, would do the same thing for him. That's when tears rolled down my face as I watched the CNN presentation that day.
3. Per my observation, as I watched this episode, I recall the interview asking this boy if he recalled what happened next. The thirteen-year-old said that the Ambulance came; that he was rushed into the Emergency Room.
4. The Interviewer said something like this: "I hear you said something to the Doctor, before the surgery; do you remember what you said, and do you mind sharing it with me? The thirteen-year-old said that he asked the doctor to pray with him first! And he did! I lost it; I was tearing up again as I marveled at this boy's upbringing by his parents! What a hero! The world needs people like thus thirteen-year old and his parents.
5. I recall the CNN anchor, Andersen Cooper saying something like this: that he understood that the thirteen year-old got a letter from the mother of the six-year-old: what is that about? The mother of the thirteen-year-old, who was sitting next to her son during this interview chimed in, saying that they, (she and her husband) got a letter from the mother of the six-year-old thanking them and my son for saving the life of their six-year-old son!
My emotions at that time were a standing ovation for what is unfolding right before my face as I watched this clip. That's what I call "GRATITUDE" That's what I would like to share with the world; the example of this heroic thirteen-year-old; his bravery his giving-all he is and all he has, at that moment, even at the risk of losing his own life! What a hero, he is! As I watched this clip on the TV, I recalled that the Bible says: "In ALL things, give thanks (to God)! ALL THINGS, AND ALL TIMES mean in chaos, in troubled times, and in EVERY SITUATION that we find ourselves. The incident was a shocking remembrance that we live in troubled times. "We, the People", should NEVER worry that our precious little ones would kiss us goodbye when they leave for school in the morning, BUT MAY NOT RETURN TO US, because of the insane mind of people like the gunman who shot and killed, reportedly a number of innocent school children on that day. To make it worse, the incident took place inside a Catholic Church in MN. THINK ABOUT THAT: LET IT SINK IN FOR A MOMENT. WHERE ELSE IS SAFE? WE ARE LIVING IN VERY TROUBLED TIMES, FOLKS!
I believe that the example of the heroism, bravery, valor, and empathy shown by this thirteen-year-old is a prime example what ALL PEOPLE should emulate. This thirteen-year-old is worthy of our highest esteem and accolades. KUDOS TO HIM AND HIS FAMILY FOR RAISING HIM THE RIGHT WAY.
I STAND AT HIGH ATTENTION TO SALUTE HIM AND HIS FAMILY.
About the Author:
Dr. Akinyemi's "Be Happy Attitude" is filled with extreme gratitude as he memorialized and takes his readers through an incident that changed the whole course of human history: the infamous "911" of September 11, 2001, which, he recalled, could have claimed his life as it did over three thousand people. God's Amazing Grace, he recalls, was that he DID NOT ATTEND A SCHEDULED MEETING AT THAT EXACT SPOT THAT THE PLANE HIT THE PENTAGON! He recalls a "PTSD-like trauma of that day caused him to memorialize to, and honor the lives of those who died on that fateful "911". He was so shaken by the event that he promised to, and he built a "mini" Pentagon, in the form of a gazebo, at the back of his house a few years later. It's his personal way of expressing his profound gratitude and empathy for the families of those who perished on that day, twenty-four years ago. Dr. Akinyemi was born in Nigeria, West Africa. He immigrated (legally, I might add, as an F-1 Student Visa), to the USA at age 21, to seek higher education beyond high school. He has written and published six books, including "Coming 2 America", "Beyond 80", "Meet My Mother", "I Am Scared, VERY SCARED!" "Belonging", and "Impossibilities Are A Prelude To Possibilities". He lives in Maryland with his family, including daughter, Adedoyin, son, Olutobi Akinyemi, and grandsons Isaiah and Joshua, and their parents.
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