It was a freezing cold Sunday night when the car Kristen Hiebert was driving suddenly skidded down the road and ended up on a frozen river in Winnipeg, Canada.
Despite the panic, she immediately acted on one instinct. And that was to protect her 4-year-old daughter Avery.
Thinking it unwise to head out into the cold night for help, she decided to wait until morning.
Yahoo News reports that as temperatures dropped to below-13°F, Kristen lay on top of her daughter to keep her warm.
After more than 10 hours, it was still dark out but Kristen decided it was time to call for help.
So she got out of the car despite having developed frostbite on her legs and feet and tried to flag a passing car down for help.
How they were rescued
Even before Kristen could get out onto the road, Tina Dubyts, a laboratory technician driving to work spotted her and came to her aid.
Tina told CBC News, “She was in shock. She was obviously frozen. She just kept talking about her daughter.”
After calling for help, Tina then went down to the car to check on Avery.
She found the little girl curled up where the passenger seat used to be. She then wrapped her in a blanket, carrying her back to her own car.
When more passersby came around, Tina was able to lift Kristen into her car as well. Then, they simply waited for the ambulance to arrive.
How are they now?
When they arrived at the hospital, doctors found that Kristen not only had frostbite but broken arms and a cracked rib.
Because of her selfless act, her daughter Avery had a few scrapes and frostbite on one foot.
Kristen faces multiple surgeries but her daughter Avery is recovering well, according to Yahoo News.
When Tina, the woman who came to their aid, was commended, she told CBC news, “She’s the hero. I don’t know how she went through all that pain. She had the will to live, that girl.”
Though she faces a long road of recovery ahead of her, a lot of people touched by her story have helped the mother and daughter.
One of whom is her friend Morgan Campbell. “She’s a hero,” Morgan told a local TV station. “She’s amazing. That is the power of a mother’s love.”
READ: Heroic pregnant mom dies trying to rescue toddler from burning home
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