Heroic Texas Mom Receives Carnegie Medal for Her Last Act of Love During Horrific Home Fire

A Texas mother who saved two of her children from their burning home and died trying to save her baby has received North America’s highest honor for civilian heroism.

Giovanna Cabrera, 31, along with 17 other courageous Americans, received the Carnegie Medal, which recognizes people who expose themselves to serious risk of danger or death while trying to save others.

Cabrera’s north Houston home caught fire around 4 a.m. on Feb. 3, with investigators quickly determining the fire started in the living room, KHOU11 reported at the time.

She managed to get her nine-year-old son and six-year-old daughter out of the house in time by opening the front door for them.

Her son said he saw his mother running back through the burning house toward the bedroom of his 1-year-old brother Gabriel Peña.

She never came out. When firefighters arrived, the flames had engulfed the entire front part of the house. The fire was too intense for them to intervene immediately and save Cabrera and his son.

After the fire was better contained, they entered and saw Cabrera holding Gabriel on the floor of his bedroom door. Both died from smoke inhalation and severe burns.

At one point, Cabrera called 911, but the call was quickly disconnected. Her children went to a nearby house and alerted a neighbor, who then called 911.

Pictured: Giovanna Cabrera and her one-year-old son Gabriel Peña tragically died in a house fire in February. Mom saved her other two children and received Carnegie Medal for her heroism

After Cabrera saved her nine-year-old son and six-year-old daughter, authorities learned that Cabrera had gone back into the fire (pictured on a neighbor’s cellphone video) to save her baby. None of them ever came back

In the days following the fire, local media spoke with a neighbor and sister of Cabrera, Giselle Bueno, to get a better idea of what happened.

The neighbor, David Santos, told KHOU11 at the time that the fire was so hot he could smell it “all the way to the door” of his house.

“There was nothing anyone could do,” he said. “All we could do was just stand and watch.”

Bueno was visibly heartbroken as she stood in front of the rubble of Cabrera’s home, knowing she had lost her only sister and her nephew.

“She caught him, she died with him in her arms,” Bueno said. “I just think about my sister and what was going through her mind, like how scared she was and how alone she was.”

The family of four lived in the home with the children’s grandparents, who were out of town at the time of the fire. ABC13 previously reported that Cabrera’s children left with their father after the tragedy.

A GoFundMe was set up by a family friend to raise money to help pay for funeral expenses and any other support the two surviving children may need.

As of Tuesday, he had raised more than $47,000 toward a goal of $150,000.

Cabrera pictured with her two other children, aged six and nine (left), who she rescued from the burning structure, as she is pictured (right) with her son, who also perished

Pictured: A memorial outside Cabrera’s home honoring her and her 1-year-old son.

Cabrera’s sister, Giselle Bueno, was interviewed at the scene of the fire and told KHOU11 that Cabrera would be proud of how people were stepping up to help her family.

“And everyone considers her a hero,” Bueno added. “I know she’s just looking at us and she’s happy and proud, even though she didn’t make it, that everyone is trying to help her.”

Today, his heroism has been officially recognized by the Carnegie Hero Fund Commission, established by billionaire steel magnate Andrew Carnegie in 1904.

In addition to this, Cabrera’s family will receive financial assistance, the amount of which was not specified.

Over its 120-year history, the fund has disbursed more than $45 million in everything from one-time grants, scholarships, death benefits and ongoing assistance to Carnegie Medal winners and their surviving family members.