One neighborhood UPS driver’s heroic act had an Oak Park, Illinois, mom named Traci Pratt taking to Facebook to proclaim, “Not all heroes wear capes, some wear a brown uniform.”
It all transpired when her son Max had eyes that were a bit bigger than his arm muscles. The almost 5-year-old attempted to take on a 97-pound package that was bigger than he is. Luckily, in what could have been a dangerous situation, a UPS mail carrier was nearby to step in and save the day!
One of Max’s favorite daily activities is helping his mom carry in any packages that arrive on their doorstep. But when his family received a brand new hammock, the hobby gave Max a run for his money.
Not realizing the predicament Max had gotten himself into, Traci was upstairs with her 2-year-old daughter when she heard a commotion coming from the front porch. The 40-pound little boy had attempted to lift the massive package and instead found himself pinned underneath it.
“I was scared I was going to fall down the stairs,” Max told CBS 2. “I was saying, ‘Help!’ and then the package man just came back and lifted the box.”
That “package man” is a UPS driver and Chicago-area dad named Marco Angel. In a video captured by the family’s Ring doorbell camera, it’s clear that Marco is also an everyday hero!
“He didn’t think twice. He didn’t even look for traffic,” Max’s dad said. “He came sprinting. It was pretty cool.”
Marco was quick to attribute his swift action to his years of experience as a father.
“I pictured my boys in his situation,” he explained. “Obviously, you go into kind of into full parent mode or full dad mode to make sure the kid is all right.”
As for Max, other than some temporary aches and pains and a bit of a scare, he’s back in tip-top shape!
“I think he just saw all four years of his life flash before his eyes more than anything,” Traci said. “Oh my gosh, he wants to do everything. Which is good. I’m all about independence but safety too. It’s a balance.”
The Pratt parents have since made it abundantly clear that Max is not allowed to answer the door by himself and needs to ask for help when a task is too big for him.
From Max’s point of view, the hammock is the real culprit. “I told her not to get it,” he said. “I’ve already fallen out of it three times.”
Regardless of who – or what – is to blame, their family is forever grateful to the local hero who dropped everything to protect their son: Mr. Angel.
“That’s what he is,” Traci said. “You are our angel, the way you flew in and helped him.”
Watch Marco fly to Max’s rescue in the video below, and share this story with a friend to make them smile.
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