Malian "Spider-Man" Granted French Citizenship After Rescuing Dangling Baby

By now you have seen the video of the young man who channeled his Spider Man and rapidly scaled an apartment building in Paris, France to save a 4-year-old boy dangling on the verge of falling four floors. The young hero's name is Mamoudou Gassama, who at the time of the incident was an undocumented immigrant from Mali. Today, less than 48 hours later, he is now a French citizen.

After catching wind of the heroic rescue caught on camera by bystanders, French President Emmanuel Macron met with the 22-year-old hero, and offered him a job with the fire department and granted him French citizenship.

Gassama is now a citizen of the French suburb of Montreuil, where prior to his heroic act, he had been sleeping on the floor in a room shared with relatives at a migrant hostel.

"You have become an example because millions of people have seen you. It is only right that the nation be grateful," Macron was quoted as saying by AFPAFP. "Even if you did not think about what you were doing it was an act of courage and strength that won the admiration of all."

The president also awarded Gassama with a medal of bravery.

"I'm pleased because it's the first time I've received a trophy like that," said Gassama.

Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo also tweeted her congratulations to Gassama on Sunday. "Congratulations to Mamoudou Gassama for his act of bravery that saved the life of a child last night," she wrote to her followers. "He explained to me that he arrived from Mali a few months ago while dreaming of building his life here. I replied that his heroic gesture is an example for all citizens and that the City of Paris will obviously be keen to support him in his efforts to settle in France."

While it was a moment of triumph for Gassama, The French president, however, mentioned France wouldn't be offering citizenship to every immigrant, saying he "can not give (papers) to all those who come from Mali or Burkina Faso."