Real-life 'Spiderman' given citizenship for rescuing toddler dangling from balcony
When 22-year-old Mamoudou Gassama saw a toddler dangling from a four-story building, he did what few of us are capable of doing: he scaled from the building and saved him.
On Monday, the French government announced that they'd be awarding Gassama, who is a Malian migrant, with French citizenship. He was told of this reward during a meeting with President Emanuel Macron, where he also received a medal for his heroic efforts.
He's also apparently been offered a job with the fire service -- he's clearly got what it takes. Video of the event is like something out of a movie you'd never watch because you'd think it too over-the-top to be real.
It's a well-deserved hero's welcome for Gassama, who arrived in France last year after a harrowing journey, but a rare one for many migrants in his position.
Since assuming office, Macron has led heavy crackdown on undocumented immigrants and migrants, promising to deport any undocumented immigrant who commits a crime. His attempt to create more restrictive asylum law was met with outrage by nonprofits serving the migrant community.
Heather was the Web Trends reporter at Mashable NYC. Prior to joining Mashable, Heather wrote regularly for UPROXX and GOOD Magazine, was published in The Daily Dot and VICE, and had her work featured in Entertainment Weekly, Jezebel, Mic, and Gawker. She loves small terrible dogs and responsible driving. Follow her on Twitter @wear_a_helmet.
