Appomattox fire survivors appear on national TV show
Shown are (from left) Chantae Patterson and Aalaysia Canada from Appomattox receiving a $10,000 check courtesy of Pillsbury from Jennifer Hudson on “The Jennifer Hudson Show.” Image: Chris Millard/Warner Bros./Contributed

Aalaysia Canada, a 12-year-old hero, and her mother Chantae Patterson from Appomattox appeared on national television Tuesday on “The Jennifer Hudson Show” and received $10,000 toward a new home.

On Oct. 17, their home on the 10,000 block of Stonewall Road went up in flames.

Canada, a middle school student who recently saved her family from the house fire, shared her story of waking at 3 a.m., thinking she “smelled hot dogs” and instead discovering smoke and flames surrounding her.

The quick-thinking pre-teen raised the alert and got everyone, including her mom, three sisters, and the family cat, to safety.

There’s more to this in the current issue of the Times Virginian newspaper. Support local journalism by purchasing the issue at a local newsstand or subscribing at www.timesvirginian.com/subscriber_services to receive the print edition or view the full article in the e-edition version.