Recently in the United States, two hairdressers noticed a young girl running towards a busy road outside their salon, seemingly unaware of the danger. Without hesitation, they rushed out to stop the child, earning praise from the community as “heroes”.
47-year-old Osvaldo Lugo, originally from Puerto Rico and now residing in Hartford, Connecticut, owns a barber shop called LookSharp. One morning, as Lugo was attending his third customer of the day, his colleague Rafael Santana spotted the girl playing near the street unsupervised.
Santana’s concern prompted Lugo to act swiftly. Seeing the girl sprinting towards the road, Lugo didn’t hesitate and immediately set down his hairdressing tools to sprint after her. The surveillance footage captured Lugo leading the charge with Santana close behind.
“I just opened the door of the salon and ran as fast as I could,” Lugo recalled. When he grabbed the girl just before she ran onto the road, she looked bewildered. Lugo held her in his arms as she called for her mother, and he quickly located the girl’s mother.
Upon reuniting the child with her mother, Lugo received gratitude and relief from the mother, who said, “Thank you so much.” As a small business owner, Lugo not only cares deeply for his clients but also for his entire community.
Many have hailed Lugo as a true hero for his actions, but he humbly responded, “The word ‘hero’ is too heavy, and the responsibility behind that word is too great. I’m just proud to have been able to be part of it.”
Over the past three years, Lugo has been dedicated to serving the Hartford community, where he is seen as family by many. Having spent a decade in prison before being released six years ago, Lugo has since strived to better himself through education in business and psychology. He values the knowledge gained during his time incarcerated, as it has helped him better understand himself and the complexities of human thought.
“I have completely changed my life, and I am grateful to God for giving me a business, property, and a community to serve,” Lugo said. His transformative journey has led him to a path of service and gratitude, preventing a potential tragedy from befalling that young girl due to his quick actions.