Teen honoured after fire rescue of five children

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This article was published 09/03/2023 (913 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

A teenager who saved several people trapped in a burning apartment building on a northern First Nation was honoured Thursday at the Manitoba legislature.

Speaking during the afternoon session, NDP MLA Eric Redhead (Thompson) called Shenika Chornoby an “overnight hero.”

“Her quick-thinking, selflessness and bravery saved lives,” Redhead said. “We can all learn from her example, and strive to be a hero in our own lives.”

On Feb. 11, the 17-year-old girl rushed into a burning apartment building on Tataskweyak Cree Nation, helping a toddler and four of his siblings escape from a second-floor suite.

Two-year-old Ronnie Wavey suffered burns on 90 per cent of his body, while Chornoby collapsed from smoke inhalation and required CPR from a bystander.

Both were airlifted roughly 700 kilometres to Winnipeg following the blaze.

Chornoby recovered in Winnipeg; Ronnie was transferred to Stollery Children’s Hospital in Edmonton where he underwent surgery. His family was not available to provide an update on his health status Thursday.

This week, Chornoby returned to the Manitoba capital to receive a Queen Elizabeth II Platinum Jubilee Medal, an award used to recognize extraordinary achievements.

The teen was humble in accepting the honour, saying little during an interview following the event.

“She’s a shy girl, she doesn’t like all this publicity. She’s a giver; a committed, dedicated and sweet person” said her grandmother, Peggy Spence, who also travelled to the capital.

Spence said the damage from the smoke inhalation was especially harmful for Chornoby, who suffers from asthma and has been experiencing headaches and confusion since the fire.

Chornoby heard children screaming, and that’s what led her to run into the burning building, Spence said.

The teenager was mostly unconscious for three days. Seeing her in that state was difficult for Spence, who said she lost a daughter two years ago after an incident in a Thompson apartment.

“When I first saw her, I was scared, but she survived,” Spence said. “I am so proud of her. I am overwhelmed.”

Spence said she and Chornoby’s mother stayed by her side while she was in hospital, sleeping in shifts to ensure she was never alone.

She believes her granddaughter is looking forward to thing settling down when she gets back home Saturday, and getting back into her routine of exercising and working at the community’s retail store.

Tataskweyak Chief Taralee Beardy called for more support for life-saving fire safety programs in Indigenous communities following the blaze. First Nations leaders across the province endorsed her demands.

Andrew MacKendrick, a spokesperson for Indigenous Services Minister Patty Hajdu, said the federal minister’s office is working closely with the Assembly of First Nations to develop a new fire protection strategy.

The groups have not set a date to meet, but are hoping to provide updates soon, MacKendrick said in an email Thursday.

tyler.searle@freepress.mb.ca