Everywhere in the world, we can observe and be touched by acts of kindness. People from all walks of life, faiths, and cultures extend themselves beyond the call of duty to help others unconditionally. Through their noble deeds, humanity as a whole is elevated.

To commend virtuous actions and encourage more people to be inspired by their examples, Supreme Master Ching Hai has lovingly created a series of awards, including the Shining World Leadership Award, Shining World Compassion Award, Shining World Hero and Heroine Awards, Shining World Honesty Award, Shining World Protection Award, Shining World Intelligence Award, and Shining World Inventor Award, to recognize some of the most exemplary, generous, caring, and courageous people who walk amongst us.

Today, we feature Ms. Alyson Myatt, from Louisville, Kentucky, USA. Ms. Myatt, age 22, is known by people across the country as the nanny who saved the life of a 5-year-old child by running through a wall of flames. His name is Aden Hawes, and one night while his father was away on a business trip, a bathroom ventilation fan upstairs overheated and caught on fire. As it fell to the ground, the loud noise woke up Ms. Myatt, who was sleeping in her basement room.

I just heard something hit the ground and it was some stuff up in the ceiling of the bathroom and it hit the floor. It woke me up; my room was located down in the basement. That’s how the fire started, was the bathroom fan, it was broken, but the switch was on, so the motor was running on the fan. (Oh, wow.) And it caught fire and it had been burning for a couple of hours, because the whole upstairs, like on that side of where the bathroom was just in flames, like hot, (Wow.) big flames, and it all down the hallway.

And then what happened after that?

And then, as soon as I ran upstairs, I was yelling for Aden. And then he just told me that he’s in his room on his bed. And so I just ran and ran through the flames like all down the carpet. I didn’t have shoes on or socks or anything and I just ran in his room. He jumped on me and then I carried him out.

How hot was the fire? Like you said, it had been burning for a while.

Yeah, it was really hot. Like I inhaled a lot of smoke. It was really, really smoky. (Wow!) Aden didn’t inhale any smoke. He was fine, but I mean, he wasn’t really in any of the flames for very long. Because as soon as I got him, I ran out of the house. So it went by very quickly.

The hallway, because it was full of flames, was so dangerous. What was going through your mind when you saw that he was on the other side of all those flames?

I didn’t really think about how dangerous the fire was or anything. I mean, I was scared because fire is just really scary in general, and it was just really scary being that close to fire.

And really hot. So then, it was early in the morning. What was he doing?

He was just… He wasn’t even screaming or crying, he was very calm actually. And he was just sitting in his bed. He was just waiting for me.

Thanks to the quick-thinking actions of his nanny, Aden wasn’t hurt in the entire ordeal. But Alyson Myatt was. Having run through the flaming hallway, the skin on her feet were badly burned and so were her hands. But on her mind was only Aden’s safety, with no room to think of her own safety. Once out of the house, Ms. Myatt quickly made the next move.

I dropped my phone in that process, and that’s why I had to later, once we got out of the house and into the garage and into the minivan, drove over to the neighbor’s house. But in that process I burned my hand really bad and I don’t know if I touched flames on the wall or something. And then I used the tips of my toes to drive over to the neighbor’s house.

Once they reached their neighbor’s house, Ms. Myatt asked Aden to go and ring the doorbell until the neighbor answered. Soon, the injured nanny was driven to the emergency room by her neighbor while Aden was safe in the house with the neighbor’s husband. Meanwhile, the firefighters were notified of the incident and arrived promptly to put out the fire, which had engulfed the house.

So what did you have to do? What treatment did you need to get for your burns?

Really, there wasn’t really much they could do. I mean you’re just kind of wrapped up in gauze and that kind of stuff. It was just really painful for several days. (Wow.) Even with pain medicine helping, you can just feel it. It was very, very painful.

And you said he’s okay?

Yeah, yeah, he was normal as can be like right after the fire and everything. He wasn’t hurt at all.

How long did it take for you to mostly recover? Do you feel like you’ve recovered by now, a couple of months later? Yeah, actually it went by very fast. My feet healed very fast. All the doctors were surprised, like three days after, how much better my feet looked. (Wow!) Of course, I thought they still looked awful, but they were like wow, your feet look really good. So yeah everybody was shocked how fast my feet initially healed in such a short time.

It sounds like God was really taking care of you for doing something so noble.

Yes, definitely. Yes.

It could have been a lot worse, so I was very thankful with the way things ended.

Yeah, you look like you really recovered from that so well.

Yeah, yeah, it went by really fast, like the time when I was in the hospital, and all of that.

Ms. Myatt spent many days in the hospital’s burn unit, receiving special therapy to promote healing of the skin. Eventually she recovered from her burns. For saving his son’s life, Aden’s grateful father J. B. Mr. Hawes said of Ms. Myatt, “There’s no words to put how grateful I am to have my son with me, how grateful I am to have Alyson in our world, and it’s just one of those things you can’t put any value on… God brought her into our world, that’s for sure.”

Five-year-old Aden, who very much looks up to Ms. Myatt, said, “I always love her.” For her courageous life-saving actions, Supreme Master Ching Hai honored Ms. Alyson Myatt with the Shining World Heroine Award, sending much love as well as flowers and a gift of US$1,000 to help in her recovery.

“Miss Alyson Myatt, It is with awe in the greatest admiration that we present to you the Shining World Heroine Award. This award is presented in recognition of your outstanding courage in the face of extreme danger, and the unmatched selflessness of the diamond bright love that enabled you to save a child’s life.

On March 23 of this year, a malfunctioning bathroom exhaust fan ignited in a home of five-year-old Aden Hawes while you were there as his nanny. Hearing a big boom as the fan crashed down, you leapt out of bed and saw a fire raging at what the fireman leader estimated to be a 400-degree Fahrenheit, along the hall way leading to little Aden’s bedroom.

The searing flames were no match for your incandescent love, as you raced barefoot through them with the single thought: “Save Aden.” You grabbed him and ran through the fire yet again, to get out of the house, into a van and down the street to a neighbor’s home.

Your courage, the pristine purity of your noble selflessness and the bright shining love you have for Aden created a magic shield that protected him from the burning flames as you carried him in your arms. What other realm except Heaven could produce a nanny such as you! Though both your feet and arms were badly burned and you are hospitalized, the tale of your heroism and your highest love brought tears to my eyes and will live forever.

Alyson, thank you for your goodness and care beyond the call of duty. May God bless you with a speedier recovery. For incredible heroism of the very highest order, for the amazing selfless love that thought only of another while risking your life, and for this stunning example of the greatness of the human spirit, which you have given us, we hereby applaud and celebrate the heroic deeds of Miss Alyson Myatt, gallant nanny without equal. With Great Honor, Love and Blessings, The Supreme Master Ching Hai”

Wow, thank you. Wow. Thank you. I want to say thank you to the Supreme Master Ching Hai. Well, this is way beyond like… you all didn’t have to do this, so I really appreciate it. Thank you.

In addition to the Shining World Heroine Award and US$1,000 contribution, Ms. Myatt was also presented with gifts and a Heroine T-shirt.

I’d like to say thank you to the Master Ching Hai for the check, this plaque, the award that’s in the frame. Thank you so much for recognizing what I went through and what Aden, his family has gone through. I just want to say thank you very much, it really means a lot.

Ms. Alyson Myatt, the world is a better place because of noble individuals such as you, valuing the life of others before your own and doing what is good without a moment’s hesitation. May Heaven bless you, Aden, and his dad with protection and happiness.

Loving viewers, thank you for your company on today’s program. Coming up next is Words of Wisdom, after Noteworthy News on Supreme Master Television. May your life be graced with wisdom and peace.