A conversation with the sister of Daniel Hernandez. Daniel, an intern for Congresswoman Giffords, is credited with helping save her life by administering first aid on the scene.
Ted Simons: We wrap up the show with a conversation with a conversation that I had earlier with the sister of Daniel Hernandez, an intern for representative Giffords, Hernandez is credited for helping save Giffords life by giving her first aid on the scene.
Ted Simons: Consuelo, thank you for joining us on "Horizon."
Consuelo: It's a pleasure.
Ted Simons: Talk to us about your brother. The rest of the world, he's called a hero.
Consuelo: He didn't like the fact that he's being called a hero. He did what was right.
Ted Simons: How did you hear about the shooting incident.
Consuelo: He called my mother and let us know that he was ok and Gabrielle Giffords had been shot.
Ted Simons: Your parents must have been worried sick.
Consuelo: Oh, yeah, it was a quick phone call. Just let us know he was ok. Probably less than a minute.
Ted Simons: And he didn't have a chance to say too much at that time.
Consuelo: No, he just hung up the phone and we heard it on the news and we got worried so we headed to the hospital.
Ted Simons: Have you had a chance to talk to him much.
Consuelo: Not really, he told us everything, basically what everybody knows and hasn't had the chance to have a chance to breathe.
Ted Simons: Yeah.
Consuelo: Because of everybody overwhelming him.
Ted Simons: I was going to say --
Consuelo: At least from my point of view.
Ted Simons: That's a concern, because he hasn't had a chance to sit down and reflect on what just happened, has he?
Consuelo: No, everything is surreal for everybody. For Gabrielle Giffords' family and Gabe's family. Everybody.
Ted Simons: Tell us again about your brother in the sense of, obviously very interested in politics and got involved at a relatively young age. How did he get involved in you'll of this?
Consuelo: First he was going to premed and then suddenly changed. It was a school trip, I believe, and he came back from Washington D.C. and he just -- he was more interested in politics. It just shifted for him.
Ted Simons: He got the bug, didn't he?
Consuelo: Yeah. [Laughter]
Ted Simons: And working with representative Giffords. I understand, you're at the U of A.
Consuelo: Correct.
Ted Simons: And he's at the U of A, too.
Consuelo: Correct.
Ted Simons: You both went to Sunnyside High School in Tucson. That high school helped to prepare him for this incident.
Consuelo: Most definitely. There's a program, a medical-related program. And the teacher gives us opportunity to take a nursing assistant program and a CPR program, that's what we have to take, our senior year, and we both took advantage of it. And he did also. And he also took -- he's a phlebotomist as well.
Ted Simons: my goodness it sure did. He's been interviewed and been everywhere and asked the same questions and responded in the same ways, and I think all of us have been taken by how calm and professional he seems to be. Especially at that young of age. Are you surprised by that?
Consuelo: No not really, he's always been that kind of man, I guess. Ever since he was little. He's always been well composed and taking care of other people and just not worried about anyone else besides him.
Ted Simons: Do you think this incident will change his priority, his direction in any way?
Consuelo: No, I believe he has his priorities set, and he's going to keep going toward everything.
Ted Simons: How about you? Does it change you much?
Consuelo: I don't know, it's surreal to me and my family. But no, just helped us see we all need to come together as a community and not -- there's no hate in this -- hate is not a word in this new year.
Ted Simons: I was going to say, last question. I'm not going to ask if you're proud of your brother. That would be a silly question. But when you sit back and realize what happened and what your brother did, how does it make you feel?
Consuelo: I'm proud of my brother. He's always doing the right thing. He's like a 50-year-old to us. He doesn't enjoy himself. He's always out doing things that help others or for the community and public service. But I'm proud of him, it's just he did the right thing. I don't consider him a hero because he -- he -- I mean, I don't know how I would -- I would have reacted but he did the right thing and that's all that matters. So being called a hero doesn't matter to me.
Ted Simons: Consuelo thanks for joining us and talking to us about your brother.
Consuelo: Thank you.
