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Teen uses shirt as tourniquet to save 10-year-old sister’s life after horrific crash

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RED BUD, Ill. -- An Illinois mom said her 13-year-old son saved his 10-year-old sister’s life after the family was involved in a horrific car wreck a few weeks ago, according to KTVI.

Friday night football took on a whole different meaning for the Bass family. The bright lights, the cheers and getting to see her older brother, Seth Bass, play football was an outlet if not a much-needed distraction for 10-year-old Kira Bass.

The family is still reeling from a horrific accident a few weeks ago as they drove back from visiting their eldest daughter in Texas.

“We ended up hitting the side, going off the road hitting a tree and going into a flip and when we landed she came out of the back window,” Brandi Bass told KTVI.

13-year-old Caleb heard his sister’s screams and immediately ran over.

“And he found her, he saw her injury and she was already in shock and thought her knee was broken,” Bass continued.

But it wasn’t her knee -- she was bleeding because of deep wounds on her right leg.

“He ripped off his shirt and wrapped it around a part of her leg and ran back to the car and pulled me out of the car,” the mom said holding back tears.

After help arrived, responders praised the 13-year-old for his quick thinking and response.

Bass said they told her that had it not been for him, her daughter would have died from blood loss.

Kira, though not much of a talker, said that she has her second older brother to thank for what she calls saving her life.

“What was going through my mind was that I have to save her,” Caleb said.

Friday was the first night that Kira was not at the hospital or at a doctor’s office as she finally got to spend it in the stands with her family.

“Without my son and without God I don’t know if we’d be standing here,” Bass said.

It will be about 6 weeks before Kira goes back to school but is expected to make a full recovery.

The accident is still under investigation.