# 9 year old runs for help, after parents seriously hurt in tornado

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/9-year-old-runs-for-help-after-parents-seriously-hurt-in-tornado/1001101>\
**Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\
**Created:** [May 3, 2024, 12:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/9-year-old-runs-for-help-after-parents-seriously-hurt-in-tornado/1001101 "2024-05-03T12:44:47Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\
**Post date:** [May 3, 2024, 12:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/9-year-old-runs-for-help-after-parents-seriously-hurt-in-tornado/1001101/1 "2024-05-03T12:44:47Z")

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Maybe it’s time to increase Branson’s allowance? 😉

I can’t imagine doing something like this at that age. Running for help at night during a lightning storm? I’m sure the child was wondering if another funnel cloud would strike.

There is a go fund me for the family. His parents are in the ICU with serious injuries.

Parents try to shield their kids from the bad things in this world. Sometimes event force the child to grow up much faster than expected. It will be quite awhile before this family is back to a normal life.

> **[9-year-old's heroic act saves parents after Oklahoma tornado: "Please don't...](https://www.cbsnews.com/texas/news/9-year-olds-heroic-act-saves-parents-after-tornado/)**
>
> An Oklahoma couple is in the ICU with broken backs and necks after a tornado tossed their truck into trees.

> [@](#):
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> Somehow, Branson got out of the truck and ran over a mile in the dark, through downed power lines and debris to get help. He made it to the house of a neighbor and friend and brought him back to help his parents.
> 
> “The only way he found his way back was with lightning strikes that lit the road. He ran as fast as he could, as hard as he could, he made a mile in 10 minutes. That’s pretty impressive for a little kid,” said Branson’s uncle, Johnny Baker. “The last thing Branson told them was, ‘Mom, dad, please don’t die, I will be back.’”

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**Author:** ![Love\_Rhombus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/love_rhombus/32/10694_2.png) [@Love\_Rhombus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Love_Rhombus)\
**Post date:** [May 3, 2024, 12:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/9-year-old-runs-for-help-after-parents-seriously-hurt-in-tornado/1001101/2 "2024-05-03T12:48:29Z")

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Brave kid. I hope this experience slides off of his back and doesn’t create any long-tern trauma. Unlikely, I know.

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**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\
**Post date:** [May 3, 2024, 1:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/9-year-old-runs-for-help-after-parents-seriously-hurt-in-tornado/1001101/3 "2024-05-03T13:12:01Z")

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Tornados are devastating. Oklahoma gets hit every year. My city of Little Rock got hit hard a year ago on March 31, 2023. Destroyed a neighborhood where I tried to buy a home in 1989. It was too expensive for my loan pre-qualification at that time. The house I wanted to buy got flattened. The Kroger where I used to shop had significant damage. That’s a little too close for comfort.

The article doesn’t say anything about Branson’s extended family. I hope he’s with his grandparents or Aunts/Uncles while his parents recover. The support from family can make a big difference in helping Branson process this event.

They definitely need to put in a storm shelter. They save a lot of lives in rural areas.