Back in 2002, firefighter Stephen McNally saved the lives of six-year-old Anissa Cruz and her mother when their apartment in the Bronx was on fire.
Fast forward about 16 years, and Stephen was able to see just how much of an impact his heroic act had on Anissa, who just graduated from a fire academy in Florida -- a step along the way to becoming a firefighter herself.
And while visiting family in New York recently, Anissa was able to meet up with Stephen once again and tell him the good news about her career path in person.
Anissa said Stephen’s heroic act back when she was a child definitely gave her a lot of perspective and inspired her to make a difference.
And while Stephen knew he was impacting the life of Anissa and her mother on that day in 2002, he could have never known it would lead to her dedicating her life to helping others as well.
(ABC News)