Instagram | tdocolor

People Reveal What It’s Like To Have Someone Die For Them

Death is something people do not think about often enough — yay, what a cheerful start to this article! However, tragedy can strike at any moment, and it is important to think of what we leave behind for our loved ones.

For some people, they are only here today because of a sacrifice made by someone they knew, or in some cases by people they didn't! One person took to Reddit to find out stories of those people who made a sacrifice in order to save the lives of another, by posing the question to AskReddit: "People who have had somebody die for you, what is your story?"

There were a plethora of heartbreaking and inspiring answers, the most touching, shocking, and saddening of which I have gathered here for you.

Organ Donor

Instagram | sermofe

"He was a stranger. His death saved me and 3 others.

"At the time of his death, I had already been on an artificial heart for 11 months and was probably about 2 weeks from death myself. It had been a 3-year journey for me and my family. I received his heart on 11/1/14. Although the recovery still goes on, I'm alive and enjoying my life. His name was for Tim, and I now know his family." — Odd_craving

Being an organ donor is a fantastic way to help out those in need in the unfortunate circumstance of your death. It is not a nice thing to think about, but there are thousands of families who are in need.

Sacrificing Himself For His Wife

Instagram | caquise

"My brother was killed on 11/15/2015 in Eugene Oregon while on a weekend getaway [...] As they were crossing the road a man in a Toyota Highlander who had just beat his parents with a baseball bat decided to drive into my brother and his wife at full speed.

According to the police reconstruction and witnesses, my brother put his body in front of his wife and took the brunt of the impact. He was killed instantly and my brother's body slammed into his wife breaking nearly all her bones on the left side of her body. She lived." — drew489

He must have truly loved his wife more than anything else, what a heroic thing to do.

Died In Childbirth

"My mom died giving birth to me. I didn't find out about the circumstances of her death until I was 7 and my aunt said something about it to me. It messed me up for a while.

I often wonder what my life would have been like if she was around [...] My dad has never dated anyone since. That sometimes makes me sad too. I look at all the joy my husband brings into my life and want that for him, but I think he is just done with that part of his life." — littleredhoodlum

The person who wrote this went on to explain how she occasionally felt guilty; however, there is nothing to feel guilty about. Living your life to the best you can is the best way to honor her memory.

Looking After Their Great Granddaughter

Unsplash | Mary Blackwey

"My grandfather at the time was 94 years old, my 4-year-old daughter got the flu, which she then gave to me. I was homesick with my daughter and I couldn't even take care of myself let alone my daughter. My grandfather took care of the both of us [...]

He ended up getting the flu from us and his respiratory system couldn't take it. He passed because he took care of me and my daughter and it makes me cry every time I remember that." — Dre6485

This is heartbreaking, he must have been aware of the risks when he offered to look after you both.

Saving Their Child From Drowning

Instagram | brittanyshomesweethome

"I was 3 months old, my mother was giving me a bath in the kitchen sink, my 3yr old brother was in a high chair having dinner, my father had just come home[...] He heard my mother cry out his name, in a tone that was 'off' is how he put it. He sprung from his chair, ran up the stairs to the kitchen to find my mother holding me in the sink with her head down. He snatched me from her hands, she immediately collapsed on the floor unconscious.

She died 3 days later in the hospital of a cerebral hemorrhage. Her last act was to keep me from drowning in the kitchen sink." — rtroth2946

As horrific as that must have been, it is important to remember that your mother clearly loved you immensely to be able to hold on to you for as long as she did considering what she was going through.

Died To Save Them From Debt

Instagram | megasign44

"My mom was sick and we had the option to get her dialysis everything that costs thousands and would bury our whole family in debt but wouldn't heal her or ensure that she will live long or she gives up and dies. She gave up and died. She saved us lots of stress and money and in turn, I lost my mother at 16." — PatchouliTea

There were a lot of these sorts of stories about family members giving up on life due to the cost of healthcare. It is shocking that in this day and age there are still countries where people have to pay for healthcare when you think about it.

Using Their Body As A Shield

Instagram | francescobaldassarri_

"During a strong earthquake, my grandmother used her body to protect a four-year-old girl. A wall collapsed and fell on them. I'm told she broke her hip, an arm and her skull was open.

"She bled to death and passed from a heart attack. When they dug them out all she kept asking about was the little girl and saying she's fine. The little girl thankfully survived with a broken arm but couldn’t understand what happened to my grandmother." — jar396

Hopefully, when this girl is old enough, they will be able to explain to her the amazing sacrifice that this grandmother made for her so that her story can inspire others.

Principal Saving Children

Instagram | fivemarysfarms

"I used to work at an elementary school and one day during dismissal time, one of the parked school busses suddenly jumped the curb towards a group of children. The principal was not too far behind them and pushed them out of the way just in time before the bus hit her and killed her instantly.

"I was there when it happened. That was the bravest and most selfless thing I have ever seen anyone do and proved her character in how passionate she was with working with children." — moonlmj

Though this principal may not have died for the person writing this, I felt like I had to include it as it is such an amazingly selfless act.

The 4th Sibling

Reddit | in2diep

"Not the typical altruistic life-saving event but I'll go on. I'm an identical triplet. We started out as quadruplets but the 4th little homie took one for the team as he stopped developing sometime during my mother's pregnancy. This allowed the remaining clones to develop healthy and well - utilizing the nutrients that would have been split by 4 down to 3. Pouring one out for you, Max!" — in2diep

That photograph above is actually one that this person shared of them and their two surviving siblings as babies!

Dog Saviour

Instagram | naturessol

"Had a border collie named Rascal growing up. He was walking with us while we walked a couple of our friends home [...] there were these two really mean Rottweilers that were barely contained by a decrepit fence along the road back to our friends' house [...]

"Well, we were walking past them and that particular day, when those dogs lunged, the fence didn't hold. Our sweet puppy jumped between us and the Rottweilers before they could tear us apart. Each of those Rottweilers weighed nearly double than any of us kids and quite a bit more than that compared to Rascal. But Rascal kept them at bay until a neighbor came running to our rescue." — ANickInTime

Poor Rascal didn't survive. Also, the owners of the dogs apparently ended up facing criminal charges as they had been raising the dogs for fighting.

Car Crash

Instagram | hurt911atlanta

"When I was seven years old, my mother and I got into a car accident. I was asleep in the front seat wearing no seat belt. She saw the oncoming car approaching and threw herself on top of me, saving me from flying through the windshield but killing her instantly. I think about her every day and I want to live to tell her Legacy. Her name was Jennifer Lee"

It is good that this person is able to share their mother's story. The internet is so full of negative stories, and while this may be tragic, it shows a level of compassion which is truly moving.

Protecting A Friend From Gunfire

Instagram | ilovebellowsfalls

"It was my fault we went in [the gas-station], all because I wanted a Mountain Dew. Some guy decided to rob the store at gunpoint, but it turned out the man behind the counter had a gun too. Bullets were flying everywhere, and my best friend who I'll call Jeffrey leaped on top of me. He was hit three times, once in the shoulder, once in the arm, and once in the neck. The last shot killed him almost instantly. Three people died that day. I still feel responsible." — Marshmallow09er

Suicide

Instagram | girlstudyin

"One day I came home and my fiance was gone. Detectives finally came and told me they found his body at the place he proposed to me at. They strung me on that it was a murder for months until they released his goodbye letter.

"He shot himself in the mouth, through the brain because 'I'm not good for you. I want you to be an amazing mother and I want *child's name * to have a good father figure. It's been amazing watching you grow into who you are.' So here I am years later, still confused and hurt that he says he killed himself for me and for my daughter." — Vxxpx

It is crucial for people in instances such as this to remember that they are not the cause. This man was likely suffering from severe depression or something similar. It is important to try and think of the positive elements of those we've left behind.

Protecting Children From Gunfire

Instagram | thenewfrontwall

"I knocked on my mom's bedroom door and asked when she'd be ready to go. She told me to go away. Two minutes later my stepfather shot her and then killed himself.

"I believe she had a gun pointed at her when she sent me away. The last thing she did before she was murdered was protect me." — fox-comet

Father Saves Their Child From Icy Water

Instagram | tuikku217

"It was winter time when I was 10; my father and I were walking across the ice covering the canal across from his house [...] the ice broke from under us, and after some time of struggling to stay afloat, someone had finally noticed us in the water, encircled with ice. The guy threw an extension cord out to us, my dad told me to grab hold of it, and he pushed hard on me to get me up on the ice so the guy could pull me to shore. As he pushed up on me, I looked back to see his face disappear under the water. That was the last time I ever saw him." — sparemethewearysigh

The dangers of ice cannot be understated. I've never been confident about going near water at all, but that could be due to the terrifying '70s "lonely water" advert that my dad showed me as a kid. Truly a terrifying advert.

Taking A Grenade For Someone

Unsplash | James Harris

"My grandfather, who is South Korean, was drafted into the Korean War. His best friend jumped into a grenade that was hurled at my grandfather. My dad had not been born yet." — gimmeurbreadpls

It is often easy to forget what our distant relatives have done for us, but without them, we literally would not exist.

Saving Best Friend From Drowning

Instagram | broke_but_cultured

"My cousin was swimming in a seemingly calm part of a river with a large group of people near his college. At some point, he went under the water and wasn't coming back up. Under the surface was a whirlpool that had caught him and wasn't letting go.

"His best friend dove in to save him and managed to get my cousin out of the whirlpool but sadly got stuck himself. My cousin wasn't breathing when they pulled him out and they spent several minutes before they could revive him. He's ok now. Sadly, his friend didn't make it. I never knew the kid but I think of the sacrifice he made to save my cousin all the time". — Kyren11

Financial Safety

Instagram | helloimbooklover

"My family has struggled financially our whole lives. Single mother and all. My brother and I are both in our thirties.

Over the last decade my mother lost her husband, then her sister, and her brother in law to cancer. She just wasn't coping. So she took her own life. Leaving a note for my brother and I saying she was proud of the men we had become. And to use her life insurance money to clear our debts and do something big." — Bruzman101

I hope that these men managed to get past this awful time. Hopefully, they also managed to turn this horrible experience into something positive as she wished.

Never Forget

Instagram | @iskala

"I'm a Soviet Jew born in Ukraine in the 80s. Most of my family fought in WWll by any means necessary," this man writes, "They had no option to surrender, and nowhere to run. My grandfather made it to Berlin in the soviet infantry. Those that lived to raise me made sure to tell me the stories of their comrades that died fighting tooth and nail for our home, to make sure I don't forget them. Those that died not knowing how the war ended. It's not as direct as someone taking a bullet for me, but I will never forget those that gave their lives so I could be born, my children will know their stories. The effect it had on me is this, if Nazis ever rise again I can do no less than they did."

The Twins

Instagram | @haleymossxo

"Doesn’t really count but I was supposed to have a twin but I ended up absorbing him while I was in the womb," this person shares. "Incidentally, I was born 2 months early so I’d like to think my absorbed twin pushed me through those rough first months."

The Ultimate Sacrifice

Instagram | @genevieves_photo

"I was 22 with a 1-year-old son and struggling financially," this woman shares. "My father who was dealing with acute pancreatitis, and recently diagnosed cancer which I later found out, signed his land and home over to my son and I just a couple of months before he committed suicide. His last voicemail to me stated that he would do anything he could to help me make it without any financial burden. It was the night he shot himself. This happened in 2011 and I still own the land."

The Second One

Instagram | @thinkcards

"I found out after seeing my birth certificate that my mom was pregnant and terminated the pregnancy a few months before I was conceived," this person writes. "It’s hard to reconcile that sometimes. That living being was killed and if it hadn’t been, I wouldn’t be here."

The One Child Policy

Instagram | @jinny_diary

"I was born in China when the one-child policy was still in place," this person writes. "My older brother was born prematurely and died. After one year, I was born. I sometimes think about how I wouldn't be here if my brother didn't 'die for me.'"

Service

Instagram | @photography.man

"I was assigned to one of my last patrols back in 2005 in Baghdad Iraq," this person writes. "My Buddy volunteered to take my place to give me the day off to hang out with my new girlfriend which later became my wife (later ex-wife). His Humvee got hit by an IED on the way back and the medic and he both passed. He took that day for me, and I’ve learned to move past it but still, every day appreciate his sacrifice."

You Jump, I Jump

Instagram | @wrecked_soul

"My brother jumped in front of his wife when a maniac was trying to run them over," one person reveals.

Dark Water

Instagram | i_likeit7

"My dad sacrificed himself when I was 6 to save me from drowning," this person shares. "We were going swimming in a small river. It was me, my dad, and brother. I wasn’t supposed to go more than waist-deep but I thought I could do it. But a really fast current ended up sweeping me away. And to a spot where I couldn’t reach the bottom, I yelled for help, and my dad jumped in the water and got me, he put me on his shoulder and started fighting the current to get me to shore. But when the water flowed both ways, it sucked him underwater."

Parking Lot

Instagram | @backwardsdrifting

"My mother's boyfriend died protecting her and her mother from being kidnapped in a mall parking lot back in the 80's," this person writes. "It was at night and they were leaving the mall when two men came up and attempted to kidnap them. My mother's boyfriend got in between them and was shot point-blank in the head and died instantly. The men were caught and jailed but I am pretty sure they are out now."

Saving A Bus Full Of Children

Instagram | tdocolor

"A teacher at my High school died to save a bus full of students. The Marching band were on their way back from a competition and it was late at night. The bus driver had a medical condition I believe and passed out at the wheel.

"The assistant band director noticed and jumped to the wheel to stop the bus. She helped minimize the damage, but the bus still crashed and rolled off the side of the road. All the students survived, but she was killed instantly. I wasn't there, but so many of my friends were saved by her. Close to 50 students were on that bus." — MossyBread

Apparently the teachers's name was Heather Christensen. There are many families who still have their children thanks to her sacrifice.

Father Defending His Son

Instagram | dreamtrippers

"My father. I was assaulted when I was nine, he confronted the man that did it, beat his a**. Man came back and shot him in the head. My mother has hated me ever since so I lost two parents in one day. It has affected me in the sense that I'm hyper-vigilant in protecting my son.

"I have read the thread to this and would like to make something clear. I don't blame my mother because I understand some things about trauma. I do appreciate the kind words some have offered." — UnwillinglySober

Hopefully, this list hasn't bummed you out too much. As heart-wrenching as these stories can be, most of them show that there are still people out there who are good, and who look out for those they love above all else.