Miracle in the News: Pizza Delivery Man Saves Kids from Fire | Ep. 42

Summary

The Miracle Files: Miracle in the News — Pizza Delivery Man Saves Kids from Fire

Podcast: The Miracle Files (Radio America)
Episode: Miracle in the News: Pizza Delivery Man Saves Kids from Fire | Ep. 42
Date: August 18, 2025
Hosts: Holly and Emily

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Episode Overview

In this heartfelt episode, Holly and Emily recount a dramatic real-life miracle that unfolded in Lafayette, Indiana: the story of Nick Bostic, a pizza delivery man who risked his life to save five children from a burning house. Exploring themes of everyday heroism, divine intervention, and second chances, the hosts offer listeners both inspiration and hope, reinforcing the podcast's central belief that "there are more miracles than murders, more light than darkness."

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Setting the Scene: An Unlikely Hero's Ordinary Night

(00:30–02:45)

• The narrative opens with a description of a normal evening gone awry for Nick Bostic, a 25-year-old pizza delivery driver.
• Nick was off-duty, coping with personal struggles: facing financial hardship and early sobriety after substance abuse.
• "In some ways he was a really unlikely hero because he was going through some really hard times, like financially. And he had just been sober for just a couple of months... He'd just gotten off of meth actually." — Host 1 (02:12)

2. The Fire and the Split-Second Decision

(02:46–04:04)

• The Barrett family parents were out, leaving their children in the care of 18-year-old Sienna.
• Nick, out driving aimlessly to cool off after an argument, spots the Barretts’ home engulfed in flames.
• Without a phone (having left it at home), Nick tries and fails to flag down another driver for help.
• "He thought about what his father would do in that situation and...he ran straight towards the fire." — Host 1 (03:36)

3. The First Rescue: Guiding Four Children to Safety

(04:05–04:50)

• Nick enters the burning house via the back door and helps guide four children—three Barrett daughters and a friend—to safety.
• On the porch, he learns one child remains inside.
• "I went in through the back door and the second step up the staircase. That's when I seen the faces coming out and they ran past me and I followed behind." — Nick Bostic (04:08)

4. The Second Rescue: Plunging into the Inferno for Kehlani

(05:01–06:59)

• Six-year-old Kehlani is still inside; Nick rushes back, facing thick smoke and unnatural heat.
• Blinded and nearly lost, Nick locates Kehlani by following her voice. With no safe way out, he breaks a second-story window and jumps, cradling her in his arms.
• "We looked at the window and I went shoulders first through it. I landed on my right side with her on my left side." — Nick Bostic (06:52)
• The hosts reflect on the immense courage and split-second decisions required, marveling at his bravery.

5. Aftermath: The Immediate Response and Nick’s Selflessness

(07:00–09:10)

• Bodycam footage captures Nick struggling to breathe, bloodied and burned, but pleading first for Kehlani’s well-being.
• "Is the baby okay? Please tell me that baby's okay." — Nick Bostic (08:46)
• "You did good, dude." — Firefighter/Narrator (08:53)
• Hosts are moved by Nick’s selfless concern for the child despite his own injuries.

6. Reflections: Miracle or Coincidence?

(09:11–11:00)

• The hosts discuss whether this was a miracle or fate, noting that even Nick’s near-blindness did not prevent him from saving the day.
• "Right person, right place, right time. Yep. No coincidences." — Host 1 (10:34)
• Nick’s transformation: rescuing the children becomes a turning point, motivating lasting sobriety and self-improvement.

7. Lasting Impact: Change, Responsibility, and Community

(11:01–12:00)

• Nick receives the prestigious Carnegie Medal for heroism and embraces new responsibilities in his life.
• "It's made me a better man...I have a role to play. And in society, I can't be doing silly stuff like I used to." — Nick Bostic (11:24)

8. Silent Heroes: Sienna’s Role and a Father's Gratitude

(12:01–12:58)

• Sienna Barrett, the family's eldest daughter, is credited for leading her siblings and their friend out.
• The Barretts’ father recalls the emotional toll of learning what happened in his absence, expressing gratitude and admiration for Sienna’s heroism.
• "She is a hero to me, and she's always been." — Barrett Family Father, quoted by Host 2 (12:53)
• Sienna humbly deflects the label: "I don't think of myself as a hero at all. That's just something you would just do." — Sienna Barrett (12:58)

9. Small Miracles Amid the Ashes

(13:00–13:55)

• The family loses almost everything, but a small wall sign reading "love" miraculously remains amid the ruins.
• "The only thing that was left was love. And that's all I feel from everyone." — Host 2 quoting the Barrett family (13:40)
• The hosts reflect on the symbolic resilience of love and community.

10. A New Family Bond and Ongoing Restoration

(13:56–14:12)

• The Barretts now consider Nick "part of the family" and refer to him as their "angel."
• Nick is moving forward, working to build a lawn care business, with renewed self-worth and direction.
• Hosts encourage listeners to notice everyday miracles and strive to be an "angel" in someone else’s story.

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• "He thought about what his father would do in that situation... So that's what he did." — Host 1 (03:36)
• "I have goosebumps right now... what a blessing that that little girl was saved." — Host 1 (08:06)
• "Right person, right place, right time. No coincidences." — Host 1 (10:34)
• "It's made me a better man... I have a role to play." — Nick Bostic (11:24)
• "She is a hero to me, and she's always been." — Barrett Family Father (12:53)
• "The only thing that was left was love. And that's all I feel from everyone." — Host 2 quoting the Barretts (13:40)
• "God uses the most unlikely characters. He sent an angel." — Host 2 (13:54)

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Timestamps of Key Segments

| Timestamp | Segment Description | |------------|----------------------------------------------------| | 00:30 | Story setup: Nick’s background, circumstances | | 02:45 | The fire: Nick witnesses the blaze | | 04:05 | Nick’s account: rescuing the first four kids | | 05:01 | Search for the missing child, Kehlani | | 06:52 | Jumping from the second-story window with Kehlani | | 08:46 | Nick’s plea: "Is the baby okay?" | | 11:24 | Nick reflects on personal growth and responsibility| | 12:53 | The Barrett father on his daughter Sienna’s heroism| | 13:40 | The "Love" sign: symbol of survival and hope | | 13:54 | Barretts consider Nick their angel |

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Conclusion

This episode stands out for its powerful storytelling, focus on faith-driven heroism, and candid reflections on redemption. By spotlighting an everyday person who responded courageously to unfathomable circumstances, Holly and Emily highlight the presence of miracles in the midst of tragedy and ordinary life. The story affirms that amazing, selfless acts can emerge from the most unexpected individuals, reinforcing the podcast’s core message: even in the darkest times, light and love endure.

Transcript

[Host 1]

What do you think makes the perfect snack?

[Host 2]

Hmm, it's gotta be when I'm really craving it and it's convenient.

[Host 1]

Could you be more specific?

[Host 2]

When it's cravinient.

[Host 1]

Okay.

[Host 2]

Like a freshly baked cookie made with real butter, available right down the street at am, pm. Or a savory breakfast sandwich I can grab in just a second at a.m. pM.

[Host 1]

I'm seeing a pattern here.

[Host 2]

Well, yeah, we're talking about what I.

[Host 1]

Crave, which is anything from am, pm.

[Host 2]

What more could you want? Stop by AM PM where the snacks and drinks are perfectly craveable and convenient. That's cravenience. Am pm too much. Good stuff.

[Host 1]

The Barrett's two story home was on fire.

[Narrator]

Hey guys. Six year old girl and a 23 year old male misplaced in the house somewhere. What do you got? Six year old female and a 22 year old male. Possibly inside.

[Host 1]

This is Miracles in the News. Welcome back to Miracles in the News. Let me start out by saying that we've seen a lot of miracle stories and we've definitely seen enough to know that not all heroes wear capes. Right. That reminds me of the Dwight Schrute episode on the Office when he's like, don't call me a hero. The real heroes are the guys who go to work every day to their normal jobs and then they take off their glasses and they put on their capes and they fly around saving people. Those are the real heroes. Oh my gosh, that's so funny. Yeah, well, as we know, that's definitely not the real heroes. No, we've met a lot of really heroic people. Yeah. And the hero in this story actually wore a pizza delivery uniform. And as you know, pizza delivery drivers are heroes just by. Just heroes. Yeah. My kids definitely think of pizza delivery guys as heroes for sure. Yeah. When they bring you that insulated box and they like pull out the pizza and that smell hits you and it's like oh my gosh. Okay, sorry, I digress. That's way. We're way off track. But in back to our story, Nick Bostic was a pizza delivery driver. He was a 24 year old, he lived in Lafayette, Indiana. And in some ways he was a really unlikely hero because he was going through some really hard times, like financially. And he had just been sober for just a couple of months. He'd just gotten off of meth actually. And technically he wasn't wearing his pizza delivery uniform this night because he'd gotten off of work and was at home with his girlfriend. And as the night progressed, he and his Girlfriend got into an argument over something silly. But Nick was frustrated and decided to go out for a drive and you know, just to clear his head and he decided to leave his cell phone at home. So like no destination, like just driving? Yeah, just driving. Okay. Around randomly. And meanwhile, David and Tierra Barrett were out for a date night and they had left their kids home with their 18 year old daughter Sienna to watch them. And Nick happened to drive down the Barrett street past their house and he caught sight of something out of his car window. The Barrett's two story home was on fire. Oh man. It's like, why does it always happen when the parents aren't home? Right. Like that is one of my biggest fears. Something like this happening when I'm not home and it. Yeah, it always happens. I know. Obviously the parents had no idea that their kids were in a burning home by themselves. And when Nick saw this, he didn't know what to do. Like he had unfortunately, as we said, left his cell phone at home so couldn't call 91 1, of course. So he saw a car coming down the road, he ran to the car, tried to flag down the driver and the driver just kept going. Oh my gosh. Well, obviously they didn't see the fire. They would have stopped, but. Yeah, that's what I assume. But I don't know, like for some reason the driver didn't stop so he just was like stuck there by himself. And he said at that point he was scared to run into the house, but he thought about what his father would do in that situation and he thought my dad would run into this house. And so that's what he did. He ran straight towards the fire. It's a day that would change Nicholas's life. The 25 year old was driving home when he saw the flames quickly running in to help.

[Nick Bostic]

I went in through the back door and the second step up the staircase. That's when I seen the faces coming out and they ran past me and I followed behind. And at the back porch I was asking them if there was anybody left in the house.

[Host 1]

Wow. I was like expecting it to be just like a little bit of smoke. If you've seen the video, it's like a massive fire. Oh yeah, yeah. The house was in stumble flames. Yeah. Okay. So he said there's people coming out. Like three people are coming out. Well, actually four because it was three of the Barrett's daughters and one of their friends that was spending the night. So Nick helped guide these girls out of the house. And then standing there on the back porch. He asked if there was anyone else left in the house and he got a terrifying answer. The kids told him that six year old Kehlani was still inside. So, yeah, without hesitation, Nick ran back into the house and began searching desperately.

[Narrator 2]

For this little girl part of way up the steps. He could actually feel the heat coming up the steps as he was at the top of the steps on the second floor. So he went ahead and pulled his shirt up over his face to protect him from the smoke, closed his eyes and he went down and he basically followed the voice of the six year old that he was able to find on the floor. He was afraid of getting lost and being in the smoke. So he remembered that there was a window on the second floor bedroom that he had been in.

[Host 1]

Okay, so he has the girl now. Yeah. And he's in a house he's never been in before, doesn't know the layout, has to try to find an escape. Terrifying. Yeah, yeah. So the choice he faced was he could either go back and get lost in the smoke possibly, or he could try to get out this second story window with a six year old in his arms. So he and the little girl were getting burned already from all the sparks coming off of the fire and, and he had to make this decision so quickly. So let's just pause for one moment and I want to ask you, what would you do? Hmm. I. I don't know. Are there, are there fire trucks there yet? No. Well, they're on their way. They're almost there. They're just arriving. I would probably just try to open the window and try to climb onto the roof and see if they could come, bring a ladder or something. Yeah, he didn't have time to figure out how to open the window and there was nothing to climb out onto. So he just punched through the window and jumped with Kehlani in his arms. At that point, the only way out was through a window.

[Nick Bostic]

We looked at the window and I went shoulders first through it. I landed on my right side with her on my left side.

[Host 1]

Oh my gosh. I'm like picturing this in slow motion like one of those action movies where they're jumping away from an explosion and it's like just in the nick of time. It probably felt that way because, yeah, what he did was insane. So the fireman arrived on scene just as Nick jumped out. So there's actually body cam footage like right when Nick lands on the ground with this little girl. And I think they said he was a 23 year old man, but Nick was actually 25, but anyway, he flew out of the window. He used his body to cushion little Kehlani's fall. And you can hear her crying. I'm sure it was a jolt to her poor little body. And you can hear Nick pleading with a fireman for oxygen. Like, this is pretty heart stopping stuff.

[Narrator]

Are you zadios? Come with me, man.

[Host 2]

Come with me. Come with me.

[Narrator]

Hey, we gotta get away from the house.

[Host 1]

Okay.

[Narrator]

Okay, baby. You're okay.

[Host 1]

You can hear how much he is struggling to breathe from. I know. All the smoke in his lungs. I know. And look at. Seriously, I have goosebumps right now. Like, hearing that little girl crying and just. Oh, thinking about how scary that must have been for her. But also, like, what a blessing that that little girl was saved. And here's the part that really gets me. Nick has just leapt out of a two story house holding on to this little girl.

[Narrator]

He.

[Host 1]

He's been burned. He's having a hard time breathing. You can hear him, like, begging for oxygen. He has a bad cut on his arm, and obviously he's had a really hard fall and is in a lot of pain. And I want you to hear what he says next.

[Narrator]

Is the baby okay? Please tell me that baby's okay.

[Host 2]

Yeah, we're good. 100%.

[Narrator]

Yep. You're okay. You did good, dude.

[Host 1]

You did good, dude. Yeah. Oh, my gosh. That'll do. Yeah. It's amazing. And in case you didn't get that, he said, is the baby okay? Please tell me that baby's okay. He probably had no idea how old she was. He just knew that he had saved this little child. Yeah. Clearly he cares way more about her than himself. I mean, he just fell out of a two story building. Yeah. And his first concern is this little girl. Yeah. Yeah, he had. He didn't know her name. He. He didn't know anything about the Barrett family, and yet he was willing to sacrifice everything to save those kids. Oh, my goodness. There are such amazing people in this. Oh, yeah. Oh, yeah. So true. What a good guy. So what do you think, Emily? Is this a miracle? Well, of course. This is definitely a miracle. I mean, if he'd gone down a different road, if he hadn't been paying attention, hadn't seen the fire, that little girl would not be alive. Yeah. Such a miracle. Yeah, I agree. And the fact that Nick was someone who is so courageous and willing to run into a burning house, like, not everyone would do that. I mean, the other person that drove by, I don't know if they didn't see the house or what, but obviously they didn't stop. Yeah, that's true. Nick just went straight into that house and saved these kids. And Nick is also almost blind in one of his eyes, and yet he saw the fire and was able to go help these kids. So I think that's also part of the miracle. Yeah, we say it almost every time, but right person, right place, right time. Yep. No coincidences. Exactly. So another question for you, Emily. Do you think you would have run into that burning house? Well, I hope I would. I mean, I don't know if anybody really can know for sure what you would do in a situation like this. I hope I would, but I don't know. I know. I would love to think that I would, too, but honestly, I. I don't know. I probably would have run to a neighbor's house to call 911 or something. I don't know what I would have done, but I don't. I don't know if I would have run into a house full of flames. And I don't know if I would have been there in time. You know what I mean? But Nick didn't even hesitate. God was definitely looking out for little Kehlani. He was. And I really feel like he was looking out for Nick, too, because so much good has come out of this for Nick. Like, he says, it has helped him to quit using hard drugs. And he and his girlfriend have actually gotten married now. They now have a son, and he's also been awarded the Carnegie Medal. And I loved what he said about how this has changed him.

[Nick Bostic]

It's made me a better man. It's taught me a role. As Uncle Ben would say in Spider man, great power comes great responsibility. And. And so, as being looked up to by so many people, even ones that I'm not even aware of, I. I have a. I have a role to play. And in society, I can't be doing silly stuff like I used to.

[Host 1]

Leave it to Spider man to give us the very best wisdom. No, I love that. But seriously, I love what he said about just, like, taking on this new responsibility of being a better person. Yeah. I love that he's seeing himself as a good man who is worth investing in himself, you know, for sure. And there's another hero that we still need to acknowledge in this story because the Barrett's oldest daughter, Sienna, was also really brave and calm under pressure, and she helped lead those other children out as well. And I want you to hear what her dad said about her.

[Host 2]

The officers told me About Nick and what he had done. And I started crying more. One of the most awful feelings to have that I wasn't there. Kehlani said, daddy, I was looking for you. Seanna Barrett, the eldest daughter, led most of her younger siblings and their family friend to safety. She is a hero to me, and she's always been.

[Host 1]

I don't think of myself as a hero at all. That's just something you would just do.

[Host 2]

The cause of the fire is currently under investigation. The family lost almost everything.

[Host 1]

I can't imagine having to go through something like this at such a young age. Oh, I know. And I. I just keep thinking, like, Nick spared this family from having to go through a lifetime of sadness and guilt and grief. Yeah. I mean, it could have ended the very differently. Can you imagine if they'd all gotten out, but little Kehlani, what that would have done to that family? So tragic. Yeah. I'm so glad they don't have to go through that. And there was one last little miracle. When they walked through the burned remains of the house, the only thing left on the Barrett's wall was a little sign that said love on our wall.

[Host 2]

In the living room. It was completely burnt down. The only thing that was left was love. And that's all I feel from everyone. But the family says they did pick up a new family member. God uses the most unlikely characters. He sent an angel.

[Host 1]

Isn't that so sweet? I love it. I love that they said that they consider him part of their family now. I do, too. I mean, I think trauma really does bond you to people. Yeah. The Barrett's truly think of Nick as their angel, and they've become really close friends.

[Narrator]

And.

[Host 1]

And Nick is working on building a lawn care business. I think he's working maybe at a tire company now as well. And Nick, if you're listening to this, you have inspired us more than you know. So keep going, man. I mean, there's so much negativity in the news, but, yeah, I think the reality is there's just so much goodness in the world. And stories like this just remind you that people in general are very good. Yeah, definitely. So many miracles. And if you've enjoyed this story, please subscribe. Wherever you get your podcast, make sure to leave us a review, and remember to look for ways and times when you can be an angel in someone else's life. Thank you for joining us. If you have a miracle to share, contact [e-mail] or find us on Facebook. We're now releasing multiple episodes each month month. So subscribe on your favorite podcast platform and YouTube for amazing video content as well. Join us next time as we discover more of God's miracles. And don't forget to look for his light in your own lives.