Heley de Abreu Silva Batista (12 August 1974 – 5 October 2017) was a Brazilian teacher. She gained notability after giving her own life in an act of

courage Courage (also called bravery or valor) is the choice and willingness to confront agony, pain, danger, uncertainty, or intimidation. Valor is courage or bravery, especially in battle. Physical courage is bravery in the face of physical pain, h ...

to save children in the Tragedy of Janaúba. She saved at least 25 children, being considered a

hero A hero (feminine: heroine) is a real person or a main fictional character who, in the face of danger, combats adversity through feats of ingenuity, courage, or Physical strength, strength. Like other formerly gender-specific terms (like ...

ine.

Biography

As a teacher, one of her key drivers was the inclusion of disabled students, area in which she specialized in 2016. On 5 October 2017, Silva Batista was considered a heroine for saving several children from a fire at the Gente Inocente nursery in

Janaúba Janaúba is a municipality in the north of the Brazilian state of Minas Gerais. In 2020 the population was 72,018 in a total area of 2,189 km2. The elevation is 692 meters above sea level. Location The distance to the state capital, Be ...

Minas Gerais Minas Gerais () is a state in Southeastern Brazil. It ranks as the second most populous, the third by gross domestic product (GDP), and the fourth largest by area in the country. The state's capital and largest city, Belo Horizonte (literally ...

. Heley, who came to fight with the watchman who ignited the fire, had ninety percent of her body burned, which led to her death. After the wake, which gathered hundreds of people at the municipal funeral home, the coffin with the body of the teacher was placed in a truck of the

Fire Department A fire department (American English) or fire brigade (Commonwealth English), also known as a fire authority, fire district, fire and rescue, or fire service in some areas, is an organization that provides fire prevention and fire suppression se ...

and a procession was carried through the streets of the city to the São Lucas Cemetery. In 2005, Silva Batista had lost her child, drowned in the pool of a club.

Tribute

National Order of Merit Faced with the act of bravery, considered a gesture of courage and heroism to save the lives of her students, President

Michel Temer Michel Miguel Elias Temer Lulia (; born 23 September 1940) is a Brazilian politician, lawyer and writer who served as the 37th president of Brazil from 31 August 2016 to 31 December 2018. He took office after the impeachment and removal from off ...

decided to grant her, post mortem, the National Order of Merit.Michel Temer honours heroine of Janaúba with National Order of Merit

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Silva Batista, Heley de Abreu 1974 births 2017 deaths Deaths from fire 21st-century Brazilian educators Recipients of the National Order of Merit (Brazil) People from Montes Claros People murdered in Brazil Brazilian murder victims