It was the moment two North Texas families had been waiting for. On Sunday 9-year-old Hector Montoya got to hug the Fort Worth family whose personal tragedy inspired him to help others.
“I wanted to do something nice for Abby,” said Montoya, who lives in Grand Prairie. “I know it’s hard on her because of her sister and her mom.”
Abby is 7-year-old Abigail Segoviano, whose mother and twin sister died earlier this year in a fire at a home without a working smoke detector.
Montoya says his heart was broken when he heard their story. So he decided to spend the money he’d been saving to buy a PlayStation 4 on 100 smoke detectors to give to people in his community.
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He’s pushed on with his campaign – and to date has helped donate 2,700 smoke detectors to local families.
“He’s like a little hero for us because he’s saving people’s lives,” said Gloria DeHoyos, Abigail’s aunt.
DeHoyos said she and her family first learned about Montoya from a news story they read shortly after he made that first donation. They were deeply touched by the gesture and knew they needed to meet him. After several months of searching, they finally got in touch – and on Sunday, he came to their home.
“It just brings me to tears,” said DeHoyos. “We didn’t think we were ever going to meet him.”
Montoya said he was just as excited to meet them – and brought several presents for Abigail with him.
He also got the Fort Worth City Council to declare Sunday as "Princess Abigail Segoviano Day."
“I wanted to make her a princess for the day,” said Montoya.
DeHoyos says she hopes Montoya will continue to donate and raise awareness about smoke detectors for many years to come – and she gave him a picture of her sister and niece so they can be right next to him as he moves forward with his mission.
