After his mother was shot in an ambush near the US-Mexico border, 13-year-old boy Devin Blake Langford hid his six brothers and sisters and walked for about six hours to get help.
It is believed drug cartel gunman were behind the ambush - which saw nine members of Devin's Mormon family in northern Mexico brutally killed.
A Facebook post by a relative describing the events of the day has gone viral, with Devin's brave actions - in terrifying circumstances - being applauded around the globe.
"On the morning of November 4th, 2019, three mothers in three vehicles, with fourteen children between them, set out from LaMora, a small family community in the mountains of northeastern Sonora," the Facebook post by relative Kendra Lee Miller read.
"Two of them to see family in Chihuahua, and one of them to pick up her husband from the airport in Phoenix, AZ.
"They never made it.
"They were ambushed by the Mexican cartels; shot, burned, and murdered in cold blood.
"These were innocent civilians, American citizens simply trying to live peaceful lives."
Ms Miller described how for 11 hours she, and other relatives, waited for any news.
"The first vehicle was found full of bullet holes and completely ablaze," she wrote on Facebook.
"Nita and the four of her seven children she had taken on the trip were burned to mostly ashes and only a few charred bones left to identify that all five had been inside.
"It appeared that one tried to escape as the front passenger door was open and the remains were partially in and out of the vehicle."
In all, nine died in the border area, while six children were wounded.
The death and injury count could have been higher if not for the heroics of the teenager.
"On another part of the road, about 10 miles ahead, were Christina, with her baby Faith in her vehicle, and Dawna with nine children in hers," Ms Miller wrote.
"They both were fired upon from ahead and Christina jumped out waving her arms to let the attackers know that it was women and children in the vehicles.
"She gave her life to try and save the rest. Dawna and two of her boys were also killed in the gunfire.
"After witnessing his mother and brothers being shot dead, Dawna's son Devin hid his six other siblings in the bushes and covered them with branches to keep them safe while he went for help.
"When he took too long to return, his 9-year-old sister left the remaining five to try again."
Ms Miller said Devin arrived in LaMora at 5.30pm - six hours after the ambush and gave the "first news anyone had heard of his and Christina's families."
Ms Miller said that Devin's family immediately headed out to find the other children - knowing many of them were injured.
About two hours later they found them.
"They found Christina's baby Faith with the vehicle around her riddled with bullet holes," Ms Miller wrote.
"Somehow she had remained untouched, and alive. She was in her car seat, which looked to have been hurriedly placed on the floor of the vehicle by her mother for protection.
The search didn't end there. Mckenzie, the nine-year-old who'd gone for help, was missing.
"Soldiers who'd by then arrived, and the men of LaMora and nearby towns searched for two hours in the dark until they found her around 9:30."
Ms Miller said the five of Dawna's children who were injured were picked up by a waiting ambulance and treated at the local hospital until a helicopter sent by Mexican military came to pick them up.
Ms Miller said Devin, his brother Jake, and Christina's baby Faith - all uninjured - are now in the care of their aunts and grandmas in LaMora.
President Donald Trump has promised to help Mexico hunt the killers - and said the US stood ready to back its southern neighbour in a "war" on the drugs cartels.
Investigations are continuing.
