Niagara Falls youth hailed as a hero
Although it’s normally not in his nature, Ethan Zahn is glad he made the decision to ignore an adult.
That out-of-character decision he made on a warm November day last year likely saved the life of a Niagara Falls woman.
The 12-year-old was walking home from St. Vincent de Paul Catholic Elementary School on Nov. 14 with his cousin and an exchange student his family had been hosting.
After they walked to the cousin’s house to drop her off, taking a route Ethan doesn’t typically take, he spotted Linda Valade sitting on her front steps.
The steps were covered with blood.
Ethan called out to the woman, asking if she was OK.
“She said, ‘Oh yeah, I’m fine. Don’t worry.’”
Ethan continued home but, despite the woman’s assurances that all was well, he had a nagging feeling that something wasn’t quite right.
When his mother, Kristina, arrived home, he pleaded with her to take him back to the area.
“He was adamant,” she said. “There was no way he was not going back to see this woman.”
Because Kristina had previously lived on the street, she knocked on a former neighbour’s home and together they went to Valade’s home. The woman was discovered almost unconscious on the floor of her bathroom.
“We called 911 and I waited for the ambulance,” Ethan said.
Valade had fallen at work that morning and suffered a head injury. She continued to feel unwell and decided to drive home.
As she climbed her steps, she blacked out and fell backwards down the concrete stairs.
It took 18 stitches to close the wound to the back of her head.
She has no recollection of speaking with Ethan and doesn’t remember going into her house after the fall.
“I don’t really remember much from that day and for about a month later,” she said.
Valade was in a semi-conscious state in hospital for three weeks. At one point, doctors were considering performing brain surgery but determined there was no swelling on her brain because the open wound had allowed the blood to flow freely.
Valade reached out to Ethan’s family earlier this month.
“I am so thankful to him,” she said.
Despite his actions that afternoon, Ethan said he doesn’t feel like a hero.
“There were a couple of people walking and riding their bikes who saw her, but I just knew I had to find out if she was really OK.”
Kristina and husband Bob and older son Braeden are quite proud of their young hero.
“We are unbelievably proud,” Kristina said. “It’s so good to know that our kids know to help someone in need.”
The City of Niagara Falls will recognize Ethan for his actions at Tuesday’s city council meeting.