23 years ago he rescued a toddler from a burning building. Now he just met the grown man's son.
We don't always get to see what happens after a heroic deed.

Firefighter Jeff Ohs resuscitated Xavier Dimples as a toddler.
We all know that Upworthy loves a good hero story. Suddenly humanity seems a little less dark after hearing about students coming to their teacherās rescue, moms taking on entire swarms of bees to keep their kids safe or entire bank heists being thwarted by a single hug.
However, we rarely get a glimpse of what happens after those feel-good stories take place. Itās not often that we get to witness firsthand the lasting impact made from one good deed. Thatās what makes this story so special.
Xavier Dimples was only 2 years old when his house caught fire, leaving him trapped inside. Without a firefighter named Jeff Ohs bravely entering the burning building to pull the toddler out of the wreckage and resuscitating him, Dimples would have perished.
Twenty-three years after the incident, Dimples was able to reunite with Ohs, introducing him to his son who was the exact same age as Dimples when Ohs rescued him.
āAfter I was resuscitated I was in a coma for a month after that. I could never repay [Ohs] for giving me a chance at life, I can only live a great life for him & my son. I owe him my life,ā Dimples wrote on Twitter, along with a side-by-side photo showing him as a toddler in the firefighterās arms and a picture of Ohs holding his two-year-old.
When I was 2 years old my house caught on fire & I was trapped inside, I ended up dying that day & this firefighter, Jeff Ohs, saved me from that building & brought my back to life. Now 23 years later he is holding my 2 year old son. I literally wouldnāt be here without him pic.twitter.com/FLxmKG19DF
ā XD (@XavierDimples) May 30, 2023
The moment was equally profound for Ohs. Soon after Dimples published this post, Ohs replied. āDude!!!! You are a fighter through and through. And honestly you scared the sh*t out of me that day. So so blessed for the outcome. Love you guys.ā
āI thank God that you lived to tell your story. I thank God for my firefighter brother Jeff! Sometimes firefighters/medics donāt always know the outcome of the ppl they rescue once theyāre delivered to the hospital. But hearing [your] story brings tears to my eyes!ā one person wrote.
āThe look on her face in the older picture? Heās definitely determined not to let you go down. Iām so happy that he got you back!ā added another.
āI worked with Jeff and I know his story well. You make our jobs worth everything we go through. Thank you for sharing,ā a former coworker of Ohs commented.
Since that fateful day a little over two decades ago, Dimples and Ohs have been friends. Dimples later quipped that he could pull up to Ohsā house right now if he wanted. That kind of closure is rare. Firefighters risk their lives for complete strangers out of a genuine desire to help, but they donāt often get to see how their efforts truly paid off. This must have been such a rewarding experience for Ohs.
We never really know where any of our good deeds may lead. But knowing the results isnāt what drives people to commit brave acts. Itās that impulse we all have to help one another and the inner knowing that somehow we are inexplicably connected. The impulse is louder for some than others, or more or less frequent, but answering it can lead to amazing things.
- Her refusal to be silent about her sonās autism led her to create a 'Hero Squad' for action āŗ
- Maryland county turns firefighter stereotype on its headāand the photo itself is pure fire āŗ
- Preschooler shows up to the fire department with a resume. Of course, he got the job. āŗ
- Upworthy partners with P&G for the Acts of Good Awards - Upworthy āŗ
- See the amazing hand-written notes an 8-year-old is sending to firefighters - Upworthy āŗ
There's a reason why some people can perfectly copy accents, and others can't
Turns out, there's a neurodivergent link.
A woman in black long sleeve shirt stands in front of mirror.
Have you ever had that friend who goes on vacation for four days to London and comes back with a full-on Queen's English posh accent? "Oooh I left my brolly in the loo," they say, and you respond, "But you're from Colorado!" Well, there are reasons they (and many of us) do that, and usually it's on a pretty subconscious level.
It's called "accent mirroring," and it's actually quite common with people who are neurodivergent, particularly those with ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder). According Neurolaunch, the self-described "Free Mental Health Library," "Accent mirroring, also known as accent adaptation or phonetic convergence, is the tendency to unconsciously adopt the accent or speech patterns of those around us. This linguistic chameleon effect is not unique to individuals with ADHD, but it appears to be more pronounced and frequent in this population."
Essentially, when people have conversations, we're constantly "scanning" for informationānot just the words we're absorbing, but the inflection and tone. "When we hear an accent, our brains automatically analyze and categorize the phonetic features, prosody, and intonation patterns," writes Neurolaunch. For most, this does result in copying the accent of the person with whom we're speaking. But those with ADHD might be more sensitive to auditory cues. This, "coupled with a reduced ability to filter out or inhibit the impulse to mimicā¦could potentially explain the increased tendency for accent mirroring."
While the article explains further research is needed, they distinctly state that, "Accent mirroring in individuals with ADHD often manifests as an unconscious mimicry of accents in social situations. This can range from subtle shifts in pronunciation to more noticeable changes in intonation and speech rhythm. For example, a person with ADHD might find themselves unconsciously adopting a Southern drawl when conversing with someone from Texas, even if theyāve never lived in the South themselves."
People are having their say online. On the subreddit r/ADHDWomen, a thread began: "Taking on accents is an ADHD thing?" The OP shares, "My whole life, I've picked up accents. I, myself, never noticed, but everyone around me would be like, 'Why are you talking like that??' It could be after I watched a show or movie with an accent or after I've traveled somewhere with a different accent than my 'normal.'
They continue, "Apparently, I pick it up fast, but it fades out slowly. Today... I'm scrolling Instagram, I watch a reel from a comedian couple (Darcy and Jeremy. IYKYK) about how Darcy (ADHD) picks up accents everywhere they go. It's called ADHD Mirroring??? And it's another way of masking."
(The OP is referring to Darcy Michaels and his husband Jeremy Baer, who are both touring comedians based in Canada.)
Hundreds of people on the Reddit thread alone seem to relate. One comments, "Omfg I've done this my whole life; I'll even pick up on the pauses/spaces when I'm talking to someone who is ESLābut English is my first language lol."
Sometimes, it can be a real issue for those around the chameleon. "I accidentally mimicked a waitress's weird laugh one time. As soon as she was out of earshot, my family started to reprimand me, but I was already like 'oh my god I donāt know why I did that, I feel so bad.'"
Many commenters on TikTok were shocked to find out this can be a sign of ADHD. One jokes, "Omg, yes, at a store the cashier was talking to me and she was French. She's like 'Oh are you French too? No, I'm not lol. I'm very east coast Canada."
And some people just embrace it and make it work for them. "I mirror their words or phrase! Iām 30. I realized I start calling everyone sweetie cause my manager does & I work at coffee shop."