A hero Cleveland father, 30-year-old Cordale Sheffield, entered the inferno that was his apartment complex following an explosion to save his two stepchildren. As a result of his selfless act, he was left with burns covering most of his body.
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According to Sheffield’s sister, Cierra Alqawi, who talked with News 5 Cleveland, the father was blown out of his Garden Valley apartment complex due to an explosion on Monday, June 23. Having suffered burns as a result, he found himself alone outside. Instead of escaping the inferno, his only thought was his two stepchildren, ages 10 and 11.
“When he got up, he looked up and he saw the two kids were still in the apartment, the ones that he was watching over,” Alqawi told the outlet. “Those are his stepchildren.”
Sheffield attempted to convince both children to jump, promising that he would catch them. One of them did, a boy, and Sheffield caught him after he jumped. However, the girl was too scared to do so.
Without a moment’s hesitation, and having already suffered bombs from the explosion, Cordale Sheffield went back into the fire.
“He went back in the fire to save her, but he was already burnt,” Alqawi added. “I think that’s when his hair caught on fire, when he went back in.”
A Hero
Heroically, Cordale managed to save his stepdaughter. Unbeknownst to him, he had suffered severe burns while saving her. Alqawi was shocked when she saw footage of her brother, all burned.
“Somebody was recording him up close. I saw my brother. I saw the comments saying he looked like a zombie. He looked like that. That’s what he looked like,” Alqawi said.
Sheffield was hospitalized, and it was discovered that he had suffered burns to 92% of his body. As per Alqawi, doctors removed all of his skin, and he has undergone four surgeries, with the last lasting for six hours on Friday, June 27.
Alqawi revealed that this incident was “another blow,” as they both had to endure the tragic passing of their brother back in 2020. Furthermore, Sheffield’s girlfriend, the children’s mother, has expressed feeling remorseful due to her being at work at the time of the incident.
However, amid his recovery and the pain, Alqawi recognizes him as what he is: a hero.
“That’s just how I want people to recognize my brother as who he is. He’s a fighter. He’s a hero,” Alqawi said.
A GoFundMe was set up by Chrishad Sheffield, Cordale’s brother, to help raise funds to cover his treatment. While he can move his tongue and mouth, any other movement is restricted, as it can cause his wounds to reopen.
“Cordale is a true hero, and he deserves to be honored, protected, and cared for the same way he cared for those kids,” the fundraiser reads.