A Heroic ND Teen’s Ultimate Sacrifice Is Now A Movie Coming Out

A friend of mine told me a story last week that took my breath away

Her name is Brianna Winger, and she works right down the street from our radio station. I stopped by last week to say hello, and within a couple of minutes, she shared a story that took my breath away. Her great-grandpa Emmet's life was saved by his very own sister - Hazel Miner. She paid the ultimate sacrifice on March 16, 1920.

Center, North Dakota - 1920- a three-day spring blizzard proved deadly to 14 people

At the young age of 15, Hazel was one of those 14 people who died. On March 15th, 1920, the Center schoolhouse shut down early to let the kids go home safely. Hazel's father was there on horseback - Hazel, and her siblings, Emmet 10, and Myrdith 8 climbed onto a sleigh while their father got on his own horse. Unfortunately, the horse guiding the sleigh took off in the wrong direction.

Somewhere out among the blizzard, disaster struck

With the sleigh running out of control, Hazel holding the reins, somewhere out among the blizzard, it overturned, sending all three into the waist-deep snow. With freezing conditions, Hazel had the instincts to immediately save lives - which she did. Spreading blankets over her brother and sister, she also draped her own overcoat over them. A search party found them 25 hours later, but Hazel did not survive.

"My grandpa wouldn't exist..."

"My grandpa wouldn't exist, therefore my mother and her siblings, myself and my brother, my children etc. Every time I think about it I get chills.' - I can only imagine how the memory of her death will never leave Brianna.

Soon, we will all be able to watch in awe a movie about a real-life hero

A movie is all set to premiere at the end of September. Canticle production presents...

Brianna told me this movie is premiering on September 26th at Grand Theatres. She met her cousin Darrin at the filming site and "it was an incredible honor just to be able to see what it looked like behind the scenes"

Here is how any mother OR father should feel

"It's important to me as a mother that MY children understand how important it is to look out for one another - we protect each other at all costs"  Brianna knows how incredible her family legacy is. "Emmet was my grandpa's dad, one of the siblings she saved. I don't think anyone in our family can express the gratitude we have for Hazel's heroic actions that day.

Without her selfless sacrifice, none of us would be here. It brings tears to my eyes when I look at my children thinking about her. I cannot imagine a 15 year old being faced with that situation, and making that decision. I named my first daughter "Hazel" in honor of her, to carry on that memory..."

It was an honor for me to listen to Brianna. I can feel Hazel's integrity and strength through her. Brianna Winger is an image of Hazel; she is an extremely polite, caring person. I see her posts on Facebook, and they are all about her kids, her family, and THEN maybe about herself. You see, that is exactly how Hazel was.