It was the year 2008 when Hugh Clark, 35 years old, burst into the Thompsons’ house. Upon being discovered by Ena, he attacked her with a knife. The commotion alerted 9-year-old Nathan Thompson, who came out of his room to witness his mother being stabbed.

In a remarkable display of bravery for a child, Nathan leaped at the assailant and defended his mother, getting injured on his face in the process. Despite the injury, he didn’t back down, and his fight bought enough time for his mother and 12-year-old sister, Shannon, to escape and alert a neighbor.

The Little Hero Nathan Thompson

Nathan Thomson was about to go to sleep in his room when he heard a strange voice coming from his parents’ room. Moved by a protective instinct, he decided to investigate and found his mother in a terrifying situation with the aggressor, who, under the influence of alcohol, held a large kitchen knife.

Nathan recalls:

“My mom told me to go to my room and behave, but something in me knew something was wrong. I snuck out and hid behind my door.”

At that moment, while Nathan Thompson listened intently, Clark grabbed 34-year-old Ena from behind and began stabbing her in the head and back. It was a brutal attack in which Ena received 12 stab wounds while fighting desperately for her life.

Nathan courageously narrates:

“I watched from the corner and saw he had a big knife and had my mom on the floor. My sister Shannon came out of her room; we both yelled at him to stop as he was attacking her, but he didn’t seem to listen.

I don’t remember feeling fear at that moment, but I knew that if I didn’t do something, my mother wouldn’t survive. When I saw Clark raise the knife again, I knew he was going to kill her. So, I jumped on him and knocked him off balance.

My mother got up and ran toward the stairs, Shannon ran back to her room, but Clark turned toward me and hit me in the mouth.”

Wounds from a Heroic Act

Amidst the chaos, Nathan Thompson suffered a broken jaw and needed 10 stitches on his face for the injuries he sustained.

While he and his mother managed to escape through the back door to a neighbor’s house in Rosyth, Fife, his sister Shannon leaped out of her bedroom window to safety.

Clark fled the scene but was later arrested and charged with attempted murder. Subsequently, the 35-year-old, who worked in the oil industry, was sentenced to eight and a half years in prison.

In the sentencing at the High Court in Glasgow, Lord Brodie praised Nathan as “a truly brave young man.”

Nathan’s father, Marc, 36 years old, expressed his deep pride in his two children and said:

“Both of them behaved admirably. Nathan is usually a quiet boy, and fortunately, this experience hasn’t affected him. I can only be thankful that he was there at that moment. He saved his mother’s life and will always be very special.”

Nathan’s mother, Ena, is also filled with admiration for her son:

“It’s incredible to see such a shy kid show such courage. Every time I look at his face, I can’t help but smile because I know he’s the reason I’ve been able to go on with my life. He’s truly exceptional.”

Nathan Thompson was awarded the Pride of Britain “Child of Courage” prize that year, in recognition of his brave act. A story that reveals that heroes can be found within all of us.