Vaughan boy who helped senior bestowed with heroism award

Yorkregion.com
Sept. 25, 2014
By Adam Martin-Robbins

Leo Gallo is a certified hero.

Vaughan fire chief Larry Bentley presented the 11-year-old Woodbridge resident with a certificate of heroism at a local fire hall Monday morning for coming to the aid of a 72-year-old Alzheimer’s sufferer in July.

“It feels amazing,” Leo said after a special presentation by the fire chief and Mayor Maurizio Bevilacqua held in front of a large crowd of firefighters, other local politicians and family members, among others, at fire station 79 on Islington Avenue.

“I get all this attention for doing something good. I wouldn’t want it any other way.”

Leo was selected to receive the certificate after The Vaughan Citizen published an account of his heroics, which caught the attention of folks in the fire department.

Leo came to the aid of Concetta Valela on a sweltering hot day in late July.

She had walked over to her daughter’s house for a visit, but arrived to discover no one was at home.

While trying to get back to her house, Valela became confused and got lost.

She then spent hours wandering the neighbourhood before crossing paths with Leo, who happened to be walking a couple of friends home after playing at a nearby park.

He recognized her from visits to his grandmother who happens to live a few doors down from Valela.

Although he wasn’t sure at first, Leo quickly figured out something was amiss when he asked Valela if she knew how to get home and she pointed in the opposite direction from her house.

He decided to invite her to walk back to his house; just a few blocks away. But he had to hold up traffic while she slowly made her way across some busy streets to get there.

When they arrived at Leo’s house, he got her a bottle of water because she appeared dehydrated then he asked his mom to drive Valela home.

Bentley said when he read about Leo and Valela in the newspaper it immediately brought to mind a tragic incident involving another Vaughan woman with dementia who was struck and killed by a car after she wandered onto Hwy. 400.

“I thought this story could have had a similar consequence. So I thought, we need to recognize this young man for what he did,” Bentley said. “Not every young boy would do that. ...He made a really wise decision. He’s wise beyond his years.”