Windsor Intermediate third-grader Dave Maher recently received an award from the Rock Community Fire Protection District typically reserved for firefighters.
The 8-year-old got the district’s “Whatever It Takes” award for calling 911 and providing the information emergency personnel needed to respond to his Barnhart home on Oct. 20 to help his father, Joe Maher, who had suffered a medical emergency.
Joe, 41, died.
Rock Fire Chief Jeffrey Broombraugh and public education specialist Stephanie Jackson, along with members of the Antonia Fire Protection District and Rock Township Ambulance District, presented Dave with the award on Jan. 14.
Jackson said Dave was recognized for doing everything he could to help his father and not being afraid to call 911.
“When I talked to the dispatchers, they said he knew all the information,” she said. “They didn’t have to coach him. He knew everything to allow them to get help to his house. Kids need to know how to do this. They may need to call 911 for their parents, or if an adult is not around, they need to know how to call to get help.”
Joe Maher’s death was the second time in two years Dave and his older brother, Michael Cramer, 19, lost a parent.
Their mother, Candice Maher, died Feb. 29, 2019, from cancer after battling the disease for five years.
Jessicah and Aaron Dawson of Hillsboro, close family friends of the Mahers, are the boys’ guardians now.
Jessicah, 37, said she and her husband, who have three grown children, do not know exactly what Joe died from, but she and her husband were ready to step up and raise Dave.
“We did this (agreed to be the boys’ guardians if their parents died) when Candice was terminal,” said Jessicah “We didn’t think it would be something like this.”
Dave is doing better than expected since his father’s death, the Dawsons said.
“We haven’t had a breakdown at all,” said Aaron, 46. “He has been happy since he has been at our house. We are pretty structured with what we do every day, so he has a routine and seems to like it.”
“He is a happy boy,” Jessicah added. “He is a good kid. He gets good grades and doesn’t have a mean bone in his body.”
Making the call
Aaron said after Dave’s mom died, he started sharing a bed with his father, and on the day Joe died, he slept through the alarm.
When his father didn’t wake up, Dave knew something was wrong and called 911 at 5:38 a.m. Dave knew what to do because of the safety program Jackson teaches at Windsor Intermediate every other month, Aaron said.
“If Dave did not go through this program, I don’t know if he would have known what to do or recognize that Joe was in trouble,” he said. “It let him recognize there was an issue. Most kids likely would have just gone downstairs and watched TV. He recognized something was wrong. He learned that from somewhere, and that was here (at Windsor Intermediate).”
Jackson said she began teaching the Student Tools for Emergency Preparedness (STEP) program at Windsor schools in September. STEP also is taught at Fox C-6 School District elementary schools and private schools in Rock Fire’s coverage area, which includes Arnold and Kimmswick and parts of Imperial and Barnhart.
She said the program teaches students how to recognize an emergency and call 911, and it prepares them for the kinds of questions dispatchers ask.
Adults in Dave’s life were not surprised he learned the lessons well.
“He is very observant,” said Candice’s cousin, Michelle Evans, 39, of Hillsboro, who Dave and Cramer call aunt. “He is always checking out what is going on. He is shy, but he is paying attention.”
Jessicah said even though Joe couldn’t be saved, Dave’s story is important to tell so children know to call 911 for help when it is needed.
“With Dave being 8 and doing it, hopefully it gives his peers the confidence that if Dave did it, I can do it if something happens,” she said. “They need to not be afraid and know they are doing the right thing by calling 911 if something is an emergency in their minds.”
Persevering
Adults in Dave’s life said he has coped well with the loss of his parents.
“Dave is amazing,” said his third-grade teacher, Jamie Gobel. “He is a very sweet boy. He always has a smile on his face. He is always friendly. He is willing to cooperate with others. I love having him in class.”
The Dawsons said they believe Dave is comfortable with them because of how close they had been with him and his parents. He also still has numerous family members in his life
“He can see his grandparents and cousins at any time. He sees his brother (who attends Southern Illinois University in Carbondale) when he comes into town,” Jessicah said. “He knows his family will always be there. That has not changed. They will always be there. I think he feels like he knows he will always have his family in his life.”
Aaron said Dave also uses sports as an outlet. He said Dave is an avid baseball and hockey fan and practices baseball at Windsor nearly every Sunday and will start playing hockey Friday.
“As long as he has sports, I think he is good,” Aaron said.
Jessicah said even though Dave seems to be handling the death of his parents well, she plans to seek counseling for him.
“He is doing well, but that is not to say he is not internalizing things,” she said. “I think it would be a good idea for him to go to a counselor to talk and see where he is at. A professional would be able to make a better call to say where he is at and if he is fine or if he needs some extra help.”
The Dawsons said Windsor school officials have helped by allowing Dave to continue attending school there even though he no longer lives in the district. The district also waived the fees for Dave to be part of the Latchkey program, which he has been in since kindergarten.
The district’s counselors also are available to help Dave, and Gobel said she checks in with him daily to make sure he is OK.
“We just want him to be a kid,” Jessicah said. “Windsor has helped us do that. He knows his mom and dad loved him and wanted what was best for him. He has so much support and love thrown at him every day.”