We have a new hero in the house—a 5-year-old boy in San Tan Valley, Arizona. The boy ran to his neighbor’s home for help after he heard his mom fall in the shower due to a seizure, and he found her unresponsive. Concerned about leaving his infant sister alone, he picked her up and brought her with him.
The 5-Year-Old Boy Who Saved His Mom After She Had a Seizure.
Salvatore Cicalese’s mom had just put him and his two-month-old sister to bed, when the 5-year-old boy heard a loud noise in the bathroom. Salvatore’s mom, Katelyn Cicalese, had just hopped in the shower when she began to have a seizure and she blacked out. This caused Katelyn to fall inside the tub and hit her head on the side of the tub. The San Tan Valley News reported that the 5-year-old boy found his mom slumped under the bathtub faucet, with blood surrounding the head wound, and the water was running over her.
Salvatore was scared that his mother was dying; so he knew he needed to get help. But he also worried that his infant sister would not be safe if left alone. The 5-year-old boy pulled a chair from the kitchen into the garage. He stood on it to open the home’s garage door. Then he went to his sleeping infant sister, wrapped her in a blanket, and carefully picked her up. Salvatore then rushed to his neighbor, Jessica Penyoer’s home and asked her for help.
Watch the family tell the story from their point of view here:
According to the mother who had the seizure, she fears she would have died because she could have drowned with the water still running over her.
Thankfully, the neighbor opened her door and heard out the 5-year-old boy.
Neighbor, Jessica Penyoer told ABC15 that she didn’t expect the alerting news from the 5-year-old boy. Surprised to see him at that time of night, she first thought Salvatore’s dog had passed because he was speaking quickly and she misunderstood him. She also didn’t realize he was actually holding his infant sister; she told ABC15 that she thought he was holding a doll. But when she asked him more questions about what was going on, he told her, “My mom died in the shower. Can you take care of us?”
The neighbor brought the 5-year-old boy and his infant sister into her home and immediately called 911. She then rushed over to Salvatore’s home and found her neighbor, Katelyn unconscious in the shower just as the 5-year-old boy told her. The water was still running over Katelyn’s body. She turned off the water, but did not move Katelyn. Emergency workers came quickly in a firetruck and found Katelyn there and eventually determined she had had a seizure.
Thankfully, emergency workers were able to get Katelyn the care she needed, and she has since made a full recovery.
Although the 5-year-old boy is happy that his mom is better, he has not fully recovered from the traumatic discovery of seeing his mother passed out after she had a seizure. According to Salvatore’s mother, “Every day is a challenge for us. He asks me everyday, probably a billion times a day if I’m going to be okay.”
The little boy often asks his mother if she’s going to have another seizure or if she is going to die that day.
Salvatore Receives and Award for Caring for His Mom and His Infant Sister
Since that scary day, the fire truck has returned to his home about a month later, but this time to give the 5-year-old boy an award. The San Tan Valley Firefighters named him an honorary firefighter, gave him an award, and a firefighter helmet. They also named him “Super Sal” for saving his mother and caring for his infant sister in the process.
The firefighters aren’t the only ones giving Salvatore accolades, however. Facebook user, Kelly’s Treehouse posted the story just a week ago, and it has already received nearly 3,500 reactions
Many who saw the post were moved by the 5-year-old boy’s bravery and care for his infant sister.
One Facebook user commented, “Good job kid!!! Glad you got the recognition you deserve and glad your mom is ok!”
Another posted, “A smart and responsible little boy. He is a true hero. God bless him, his infant sister, and his mom. I hope she is doing better.”
