Being an older sister sometimes means having to look out for your younger siblings.

This means keeping them out of danger and from time to time letting an adult know when something has gone wrong.

9-year-old Lexie is a terrific older sister.

In fact, she saved her little brother Leeland’s life by looking out for him and letting an adult know when he was in danger. She is a true hero.

Sneaking out the back door, this little guy wound up in the family pool, thankfully his sister was there to help. Lexie’s story is coming up on @CTV_Liveat5 @CTVAtlantic pic.twitter.com/udKyDNAZfu

— Heather Butts (@HeatherButtsCTV) July 3, 2018

Lexie has cerebral palsy and is unable to walk or talk.

She’s had her fair share of challenges in life.

Despite this, Lexie has already managed to do possibly the greatest thing any person can do; she saved someone’s life.

Little Leeland falls into a pool.

It was actually Lexie’s 9th birthday when the incident occurred. Both her mother and her grandmother were busy preparing for a party to celebrate the occasion. Lexie was all by herself when she saw Leeland get out through a patio door. She then saw him fall into the pool.

Although she is non-verbal, Lexie knew she had to get her mother and grandmother’s attention. She began to scream as loud as she could while pointing at the door that leads to the pool.

Lexie’s mother hears her screams.

Kelly Jackson, Lexie and Leeland’s mother, heard her daughter’s screams. She would later talk to CNN about what happened.

“I was upstairs changing for the party, her dad was picking up her older brother, and my mom was in the kitchen when suddenly I just heard Lexie screaming.”

“I panicked and immediately thought ‘Oh no, she must have fallen off her chair,’” Kelly told CNN.

Lexie and Leeland’s grandmother also hears her screams.

Lexie’s grandmother also heard her screams and when she was unable to find Leeland alerted Kelly that something was very wrong.

“When my mom told me what was going on, I quickly looked out the window and there, at the edge of the pool I saw his little head,” Kelly continued.

“I began to panic, and my mom quickly ran towards him and pulled him out.”

Leeland is rescued.

After pulling Leeland to safety, the family called an emergency hotline. They followed the instructions they were given and once the little boy was stable they took him to the hospital.

Leeland would turn out to be perfectly fine, but had Lexie not alerted her mother and grandmother to what had happened, things could have been much worse.

She truly is a hero.

“At that moment, it was so scary. We thought it was not going to end well, we hugged him a million times. In two seconds a life can change and we are just thankful that Lexie was so quick to alert us,” Kelly said.

Lexie is recognized as a hero.

The police department in Lexie’s hometown of Halifax, along with the Regional Council, honored the little girl for her quick thinking and heroics. She was given an official “Act of Bravery” award at City Hall.

“Heroes come in all sizes. It was a real pleasure to recognize young Lexie for alerting her mom when her toddler brother made a dash for the pool,” Halifax Mayor Mike Savage tweeted.

Heroes come in all sizes. It was a real pleasure to recognize young Lexi for alerting her mom when her toddler brother made a dash for the pool. @TonyMancini_NS pic.twitter.com/EFaIbBo3Wv

— Mayor Mike Savage (@MikeSavageHFX) July 4, 2018

Lexie is a very bright girl.

Lexie’s mother hopes this story serves to highlight that people who are non-verbal and/or unable to walk can still understand the world around them and care about their families.

“Some people think that because they have a disability, they are not able to do things, but if she could walk, she would have grabbed him and he would have never gone out there. Her disability is all physical. She is a very bright girl.”

One day Leeland will be able to thank his big sister for saving his life that day.

Learn more about this incredible story in the video below.

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Source: CTV News/ CNN