By Daniel Villarreal

NW - Writer

0

Share

Newsweek is a Trust Project member

See more of our trusted coverage when you search.Prefer Newsweek on Googleto see more of our trusted coverage when you search.

Six-year-old Bridger Walker of Wyoming has become an internet hero for jumping in front of a dog that was running to attack his little sister. The dog attacked him instead, injuring him so badly that he needed 90 stitches on his face.

Walker's aunt, Nikki Walker, wrote on Instagram that on July 9, Bridger saw the dog and then deliberately stood in front of his sister. The dog proceed to bit him on his left cheek.

Despite being injured, he somehow led his younger sister away by the hand and helped her hide from the dog.

Read More

Cat Food Recall: JM Smucker, Natural Balance Pet Foods Pulled for Deadly Side Effects3 min read

Competitive Hotdog Eaters Are Just 10 Away from Human Limit, Study Says3 min read

From UFO Towers to Tsunami Clocks, Every U.S. State’s Most Unique Roadside Attraction18 min read

"If someone had to die, I thought it should be me," Bridger reportedly said after the attack, according to his aunt.

His aunt said that a "skilled plastic surgeon" helped treat Bridger's injuries with 90 stitches "give or take"—she said he's now resting at home.

Moved by his story, Nikki sought to give her nephew some comfort and encouragement by sharing a picture of him and his younger sister on her Instagram page and asking others to leave supportive comments and help spread his story.

View this post on Instagram

My nephew is a hero who saved his little sister from an attacking dog. He, himself, took on the attack so that the dog wouldn’t get his sister. He later said, “If someone was going to die, I thought it should be me.†He got home from the hospital last night. I know it’s a long shot, but I’m reaching out to the Avengers and other heroes so that they can learn about this latest addition to their ranks. Please, check your DM’s for my sweet nephew’s story. @tomholland2013 @chrishemsworth @robertdowneyjr @markruffalo @prattprattpratt @twhiddleston @chadwickboseman @vindiesel @chrisevans @vancityreynolds @thehughjackman Edit: I never expected my sweet nephew’s story to reach so many. Please, follow my other post (I only have two so far 😅) for the latest info regarding my sweet nephew and his family.

A post shared by Nikki Walker (@nicolenoelwalker) on Jul 11, 2020 at 7:42am PDT

Her posts about Bridger and his sister have since been liked on Instagram over 200,000 times and gained nearly 11,000 comments. His story has also gotten over 24,300 upvotes on Reddit, a link sharing platform.

While most of the comments have been positive, praising Bridger for his selfless bravery, some Reddit commenters worried about the children playing in an area with stray dogs and whether Bridger might need counseling to process his trauma and his feelings about his life being worth less than his sister's.

Newsweek reached out to Nikki for comment.

...

On July 12, Nikki posted a follow-up image of Bridger at a younger age with his arm around his then-infant sister. She said she had visited Bridger at his home.

"His wounds are looking so much better!" Nikki wrote. "He's in great spirits, and his awesome personality is intact."

View this post on Instagram

Hey, all. Please, share my nephew’s story so that it gets as much exposure as it can. We know that our little hero would love some words of encouragement from his favorite heroes. On July 9th, my six year old nephew Bridger saved his little sister’s life by standing between her and a charging dog. After getting bit several times on the face and head, he grabbed his sister’s hand and ran with her to keep her safe. He later said, “If someone had to die, I thought it should be me.†After receiving 90 stitches (give or take) from a skilled plastic surgeon, he’s finally resting at home. We love our brave boy and want all the other superheroes to know about this latest hero who joined their ranks. @tomholland2013 @chrishemsworth @robertdowneyjr @markruffalo @prattprattpratt @twhiddleston @chadwickboseman @vindiesel @chrisevans EDIT: I just finished visiting with Bridger at his home. His wounds are looking so much better! He’s in great spirits, and his awesome personality is intact. He can’t smile too widely yet, but he was grinning as I read some of your comments to him. I’d also like to mention here that the dog’s owners are really great people who have been nothing but kind to Bridger and his family. We feel no resentment toward them at all, and—if anything—there’s only been an increase of love between our families as a result of this incident. EDIT 2: Once again we’re blown away by the amazing comments and messages that Bridger’s receiving. I’ve had lots of inquiries about a GoFundMe. Bridger’s family has asked that any one wishing to help out financially can, instead, donate to @mission_22 or @wwp. Bridger is also a huge fan of Science, especially Geology. So I’m going to start a post where people can share with him pictures of cool rocks that they see. EDIT 3: Once again, everyone’s kindness has meant so much to us. I’m trying to get to all of the messages that I can, but it may take some time. For those who have inquired about sending Bridger some rocks, here’s the address to use: Bridger Walker P.O. Box 22141 Cheyenne, WY 82003 #BridgerStrong

A post shared by Nikki Walker (@nicolenoelwalker) on Jul 12, 2020 at 8:53am PDT

Nikki mentioned in the post that she and Bridger's family felt grateful for all the supportive comments people have been leaving. She also mentioned that the dog's owners are "really great people who have been nothing but kind to Bridger and his family."

"We feel no resentment toward them at all, and—if anything—there's only been an increase of love between our families as a result of this incident," she said.

Instead of soliciting GoFundMe donations for Bridger, Nikki asked that donations be made to the Wounded Warrior Project, a group supporting injured military veterans, or Mission 22, an organization dedicated to stopping suicides by former military service members.

View 0 Comments

Request Reprint & Licensing

Submit Correction

View Editorial & AI Guidelines