By Kate Hill

Staff Writer

On Sunday, Sept. 27, local third grader Killian Fox demonstrated remarkable fortitude and responsibility after witnessing his elderly grandmother fall in her garage.

According to his mother, Colleen, Fox took immediate action, holding his grandmother’s head off the ground while yelling for his grandfather.

“My dad is almost 80 and gets flustered during stressful situations,” Colleen said. “Killian told my father to call 911 and to call [my husband,] Josh and I. He then had my father hold my mother’s head while he went to get a pillow for her and he then ran to the front of the house to wave down the ambulance.”

Upon the ambulance’s arrival, Fox responded to all of the EMTs’ questions clearly and effectively.

“I arrived about this point and he had already taken care of most everything,” Colleen said. “He was definitely scared and shaken, but he stayed calm to take care of his grandmother. I’m so proud of him and so thankful he was [there] . . . It’s so much for an 8 year old, but he has been so thoughtful to his grandmother through all of this and he is my hero. I’m so proud of this little guy [for] having such strength despite the world being a pretty stressful place for him the past 6 months and especially today.”

Before leaving the premises, the EMT team shook Fox’s hand and commended him for his bravery.

Once at the hospital, Fox’s grandmother was diagnosed with a broken hip; her surgery was scheduled for the following morning.

According to Colleen, the incident was not the first time Fox has cared for his grandmother.

“My mom beat cancer once, and it’s a rare [kind] that is hard to treat,” Colleen said. “The past three months they have been trying to find out if the cancer is back and even that is hard for doctors to figure out, so she’s been through the wringer with testing and feeling ill. Killian has been there for her through it all.”

Fox has been regularly visiting his grandmother on weekends and some weekday afternoons to offer help and companionship.

“She’s severely hearing impaired and slow moving, so she’s not an exciting playmate,” Colleen said. “He really does it because he cares about her. He helps her do tasks, covers her up with blankets when she takes naps, plays quiet games with her and sits with her when she doesn’t feel well.”

Fox’s kindness and compassion are apparent not only to his family, but also to his teachers at Burton Street Elementary School, where “Character Education” is a focus of the curriculum.

“He is an extraordinary boy for so many reasons . . . ” said Linda Lidell, Fox’s remote math and science teacher. “Killian is a great learner. He works hard and is conscientious. He always gives his best effort. He obviously is a very bright boy, but he is also kind, caring and brave beyond measure.”

Fox recounted the story of his grandmother’s fall to his class on Sept. 28. According to Lidell, he remained “cool as a cucumber” throughout the retelling.

“His story should be shared as a great example of how even the youngest among us can help others and demonstrate great character,” she said. “As Mr. Fred Rogers so eloquently put it, it is so important for us to look for the helpers. We need people in the world to care for one another, and I believe we should celebrate those who do. Killian has demonstrated on more than one occasion how willing and capable he is at putting others first, being kind, and being helpful.”

Colleen said she hopes her son’s story also brings attention to the importance of preparing children to respond to emergency situations.

“This really made me think about talking to my children more frequently and in detail about how to respond to an emergency . . .” she said. “We so often underestimate the abilities of children and we don’t anticipate the situations that they may find themselves in. I’m so glad Killian remained calm and was prepared to respond to this emergency. I know much of that is because of the training the children receive from Cazenovia area emergency response groups at Burton Street Elementary. I’d really like to thank them for that.”

For more information on Burton Street’s character education, visit cazenoviacsd.com.