Hero Husband, 90, Refuses to Give Up on Wife in Wheelchair Who Gets Stuck on Porch of Burning Home

90-year-old Arthur Schneider lived a happy life as a caregiver to his wheelchair-bound wife and mom of his 9 kids, Rosemary. One day, their lifelong house was suddenly engulfed in flames. The loving husband did not hesitate for a second to free the love of his life from life-threatening danger. However, their porch became a major obstacle.

An elderly couple was left in a precarious situation when a fire broke out in their home, but 90-year-old Arthur pulled out all the stops to try and get his 89-year-old wife, Rosemary, to safety.

In April 2015, Rosemary and Arthur were in their Asheboro, North Carolina home when a storm erupted. Shortly after that, a fire broke out in the couple's house, and Arthur was left finding ways to save his beloved wife.

Why Arthur Is a “Saint”

Rosemary and Arthur had met, married, and welcomed nine beautiful children who gave them twenty grandchildren and two great-grandchildren before Rosemary was diagnosed with dementia and Parkinson's disease.

Arthur became her caregiver since then, carrying out all her daily activities. Their daughter Bernadette confirmed that her father did everything for her mother daily. Revealing the only thing her mother could do on her own was eat, she gushed:

"My dad is a saint. I told him [he'll] go straight to heaven for what he's done for her the last two or three years."

When Fire Broke Out

The couple spent half their life in their beautiful home, where they raised their children, and their grandchildren's laughter filled the air.

They had enjoyed many years together as empty-nesters after their children grew up and left the family home, but it all came crashing down around them one night eight years ago, much to their family's horror.

The couple had been married for 68 years when the fire broke out in their home, leaving Rosemary, who uses a wheelchair, in grave danger, and prompting Arthur to do everything he could to save her.

Springing to Action

As soon as the fire broke, Arthur sprung to action and thought on his feet as he witnessed flames engulfing their home before his very eyes.

That day, Rosemary was in her wheelchair in the couple's bedroom, which was quite far from any exit. Arthur had been tending to his wife when he thought a lightning bolt might have hit their transformer, causing the fire.

As the smoke alarms in their house kept buzzing, there was so much smoke that Arthur said he couldn't see his hand in front of his face. Yet he managed to navigate his way out of the house with his wife.

Arthur had pushed Rosemary's wheelchair through the smokey house and out onto their front porch. But when they got there, they encountered their front steps and realized they could not go any further.

Surprising Even Himself

Arthur knew he couldn't lift Rosemary or her wheelchair down the stairs alone, so he decided to run over to the neighbor's house, which was a football field away.

Arthur admitted he didn't know how he managed to run so far without his cane, surprising even himself. He mused:

"I guess God gives us a little strength when we need it."

Soon, Arthur returned with a neighbor who rushed over and helped get Rosemary off the front porch and then called 911. The Asheboro Fire Department arrived on the scene shortly after and confirmed there was a fire but declined to give any further comment.

Explaining his heroic efforts to save his wife from the fire that ravaged their home and what he was thinking at the time, Arthur remarked: "I had to go back and get her. She's part of me."

The Aftermath

The situation was treacherous for both Arthur and his wife, but the couple both made it out of the house unharmed, much to the surprise of their family, who didn't expect such a great outcome.

The couple's son-in-law, Tom Such, said that when he was called to the scene, he expected to find the worst when he arrived, yet he was pleasantly surprised to see that they were both safely out of the house. He said:

"Surviving this as they did, and really unscathed; kind of a miracle, be honest."

While Rosemary was not home when Arthur was interviewed, he was described as "her hero and true love." However, Arthur did not see himself as a hero and said he just did everything he could to get his wife out of the house. He also believed nothing he did was outstanding.

Meanwhile, Bernadette and her husband moved Rosemary and Arthur into their house after the fire damaged the home they had enjoyed for half of their marriage.

After almost seven decades together, Arthur was asked how they endured throughout the years. He said they were able to do so because it was a good marriage that they couldn't afford to lose.

A family's celebration turned tragic a day after when a fire broke out in their home. Click here to read all about it.

Subscribe to AmoMama on Google News!