Madeline “Amy” Sweeney Award for Civilian Bravery (2024)
Jillian Smith
This year marks the 25th Anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks, in which at least 206 people with ties to Massachusetts perished. The first flights to be hijacked took off from Boston Logan International Airport. Madeline “Amy” Sweeney, a flight attendant on American Airlines Flight 11, displayed extraordinary cool under extreme pressure during the hijacking. The Massachusetts 9/11 Fund Blog is profiling the Sweeney Award recipients for the past quarter century every week leading up to the naming of the 2026 Honoree(s) at the 25th Anniversary Commemoration on September 11th.
Wales mom runs into burning building twice to save elderly neighbors’ lives
On the morning of December 18, 2023, the Wales Police Department responded to a call of a fire at 88 Stafford-Holland Road in Wales. The town was without power caused by severe weather that led to several downed trees and wires.
Jillian Smith, a 26-year-old mother of a baby girl and a Wales native, was alerted by her mother that the neighbors’ house was on fire. She put her baby down for a nap and without hesitation ran next door. She saw her neighbor, Andre Bouchard, coming out of the burning house and attempting to go back inside to find his wife, Madeline, after failing to locate her.
Jillian, without concern for her own safety, quickly entered the building but was turned away by the intense flames and vomited from inhaling smoke. She then re-entered the building and low-crawled to try to avoid the smoke and flames. She located Madeline, who was lying unconscious on the floor near the kitchen, grabbed her arm and pulled her from the burning home onto the front patio area as the flames intensified. With Andre’s assistance, she then moved Madeline Bouchard away from the house.
“There is no doubt that Andre would have continued his efforts and perished trying to rescue Madeline,” Rep. Todd Smola of the 1st Hampden District wrote in his nomination. “Jillian Smith’s heroic actions saved the lives of Madeline and Andre Bouchard.”
Joining Rep. Smola in nominating Smith were Wales Chief of Police Thomas Ford and Fire Chief John Croke, and Massachusetts State Sen. Ryan Fattman of Webster.
“This is such an honor. It was scary…but I’m grateful that our neighbors are alive and well,” Smith said after receiving the award in the Massachusetts Statehouse Chambers. “I would hope others would do the same for those in need – just as Madeline Amy Sweeney did. I would do it all again in a heartbeat.”
Next week: Everett DPW workers rush into triple-decker fire to save residents