Reese, Stephanie, Dominic & Joe Decker

On March 2, 2012, Stephanie Decker, of Henryville, Indiana, became concerned about the reports she heard of ominous storms approaching. She anxiously picked up her children from school. Hurrying home with her eight-year-old son Dominic and her 5-year-old daughter Reese, they headed to the basement of their two-story brick home. Stephanie wrapped her children in a blanket and used her body to shield them as a tornado destroyed their house.

Her children escaped the tornado relatively unscathed. Stephanie, however, was not as fortunate. She suffered multiple rib fractures, a punctured lung and legs so badly damaged that surgeons had to remove one leg at the knee and the other at the ankle.

Stephanie’s story of loving sacrifice made national headlines.

Her heroism also reminds us of the sacrifice that Jesus Christ made when he willingly went to the cross to pay for the sins of mankind.

“But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed.”—Isaiah 53:5.