It seems that behind every good politician is a good gay minder - just take a walk around any parliament house in Australia. This also applies to American politicians, and Democratic congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords has one of the best.

Twenty-year-old Daniel Hernandez Jr. had been an intern for Giffords for less than a week, but when a gunman opened fire on Giffords and her constituents at a shopping mall in Tucson, Arizona earlier this month, the openly gay Hernandez raced to protect his boss, giving her the first aid that saved her life. With a gunman on the loose, Hernandez was able to apply pressure to Giffords’ head wound and stop her from drowning in her own blood.

Though he has tried to downplay his role, Hernandez’s brave act, in which he disregarded his own personal safety to save another, was labelled heroic by many, including U.S. President Barack Obama.

“Daniel, I’m sorry, you may deny it, but we’ve decided you are a hero,” President Obama said when speaking at a memorial service for the people who lost their lives in the shooting. “You ran through the chaos to minister to your boss and tended to her wounds and helped keep her alive.”

Hernandez sat next to the president at the service, and was very humble when it was his turn to speak. “Though I appreciate the sentiment, I must humbly reject the use of the word hero because I am not one,” he said.

Six people, including a nine-year-old girl and a U.S. District Judge, were killed in the shooting, while fourteen others were injured. Doctors say that Gifford is expected to recover.