Donna Marie Bell rescued Nichole C. Arends from burning, Mundelein, Illinois, March 7, 1988. Nichole, 11 months old, was in a bedroom of her family’s apartment when fire broke out in that room. Mrs. Bell, 21, homemaker, who lived in the same building, was alerted to the fire. She ran to the burning apartment and entered. Despite blistering heat and thick smoke, Mrs. Bell entered Nichole’s bedroom, which was virtually filled with flames. She found the crib, then picked Nichole up and carried her from the apartment. Nichole was severely burned and died later that day. Mrs. Bell was hospitalized 17 days for treatment of smoke inhalation and first- and deep second-degree burns, for which she required skin grafts and physical therapy.
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