Like many other kids his age, Hector Montoya wanted a PlayStation 4 (PS4). And in order to get this coveted toy, he was willing to save up for it. But after hearing news of a nearby deadly fire, Montoya realized that purchasing the game console wasn’t the most important thing. Saving lives was.
When the nine-year-old from Grand Prairie, Texas, heard a mother and daughter were killed in a house fire that lacked a smoke alarm, he decided to cash in his $300 to purchase 100 smoke detectors to install throughout his community, NBC 5 DFW reports.
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Montoya even teamed up with the local fire department to install the alarms for senior citizens and others in need.
“Helping other people makes me feel good,” Hector told NBC 5 DFW. “I’m making a difference by doing this, and helping everybody.”
Montoya added he would start saving money again to buy the PS4 system later on, but it wasn’t long before he was rewarded for his good deed. News of his safety campaign led to community members pooling together to buy the Good Samaritan the system he had been waiting for as well as donating an extra $150 to install more alarms, CNN reports.
“To be able to do good for others at such a young age and be such a humanitarian,” said Grand Prairie Fire Dept.’s Lt. Brandon Jones. “It’s a testament to his upbringing and his surroundings.”