David "DJ" Harper's Rescue
Inspired Millions.
As the flames grew, the rescuers did not run away. They stayed. They saved the life of a brave four year old boy. These courageous heroes did their part. Now you can help DJ and his family heal!
Inspired Millions.
As the flames grew, the rescuers did not run away. They stayed. They saved the life of a brave four year old boy. These courageous heroes did their part. Now you can help DJ and his family heal!
Boy Rescued from Burning SUV will Need Months of Treatment
By Linda Spice of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
Posted in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel on July 21, 2009
By Linda Spice of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
Posted in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel on July 21, 2009
A 4-year-old boy pulled from his mother's burning vehicle Sunday by two off-duty Milwaukee firefighters suffered serious and deep burns to 20% of his body and will require months of treatment and rehabilitation, according to a pediatric surgeon caring for the boy.
David Harper of Tennessee remained in the intensive care unit at Children's Hospital of Wisconsin on Tuesday in serious but stable condition, the doctor, David M. Gourlay, said during a news conference.
He said David was burned on most of his scalp and had less severe burns on his face.
He also suffered burns on the upper part of his back, most of his upper extremities and hands and small portions of his lower extremities.
"Given the fact of how deep his burns were when he was presented indicates to me that this was a very hot fire and he was in close contact with it," Gourlay said. "These firefighters literally were heroic in saving his life."
He said he believed David would make a full but challenging recovery. He said the boy has been heavily sedated since arriving and has little understanding of what has happened to him.
Part of the rehabilitation in coming months will include a psychological aspect for David as well as his family, whom Gourlay described as grieving through their son's injuries.
David's mother, Angela P. Baldessari, 32, was driving near S. 22nd St. and W. Layton Ave. just before 6 p.m. Sunday when her Chevy Blazer crashed and caught fire.
Neither Baldessari nor her daughter, Beverly, 2, was injured. Two off-duty firefighters, John and Joel Rechlitz, and an off-duty police lieutenant, Mark Wroblewski, as well as several bystanders are credited with saving David from the engulfed vehicle.
That child was kind of our child’
Birthday request puts firefighters at right place, right time
"It was my daughter's 17th birthday. She wanted an ice cream cake. You talk about fate. If she had said a regular cake, we would've been in the other direction," said John Rechlitz, who, along with his brother, Joel, is a Milwaukee firefighter.
John's wife, Joy, and sister-in-law Kelly rode past the burning 1992 Chevrolet Blazer near S. 22nd Place and W. Layton Ave. Joy quickly called John back at his home, where family had gathered for a Sunday evening dinner.
"It's not just, 'There's a car fire.' Somebody's trapped. She's very abrupt and the tone of her voice," said John, a firefighter for 19 years. "Something is going on. I told my brother, 'Joel, we gotta go.' "
They raced the three blocks to the scene, where several other people were trying to help and another bystander was capturing the whole event on video. Someone had smashed the windshield, and the brothers worked quickly to pull back the glass. The driver, a 32-year-old Tennessee woman, had already handed her 2-year-old daughter out to bystanders through the top of the vehicle. She came out through the windshield opening.
But the woman's 4-year-old son was still inside.
"She was screaming, 'My baby's still in there! My child's still in there!' " John said.
Joel said it was the kind of moment when training just kicks in.
"We saw this child burning in front of us, screaming. It's a no-brainer." The brothers are quick to credit others at the scene, calling it a total group effort.
"You see people bashing on the windows. Without that we couldn't have gotten in on time," said Joel, who has been with the Fire Department for 10 years. "An off-duty police officer (Lt. Mark Wroblewski) had fire extinguishers. That gave us an extra five, 10 seconds, which proved to be the lifesaving five seconds."
A neighbor woman had pulled a hose across Layton Ave., which also proved critical.
"As soon as we pulled him out, we were able to cool him off," Joel said of the boy. "That prevented the burns from being worse."
Wroblewski, too, said everyone did an outstanding job. "They showed the true spirit of the city by coming together to save this child's life," he said.
A father of two children - ages 2 and 3 months - Joel said the sight of the young boy screaming hit home. John is the father of three children, ages 21, 19 and 17.
"For that two minutes, that child was kind of our child," Joel said. "It would have been devastating if things wouldn't have turned out the way it was."
According to WTMJ-TV (Channel 4), the children were David Harper and his sister, Beverly.
David suffered burns to at least 30% of his body and underwent surgery Sunday night at Children's Hospital of Wisconsin, according to police officials. His condition was listed as critical but stable Monday morning, police said.
Milwaukee police spokeswoman Anne E. Schwartz said investigators are reviewing whether the driver, whom they refused to identify, might have fallen asleep, or whether the Blazer may have had a mechanical failure.
The Rechlitz brothers said Monday they are doing well. Joel has second- and third-degree burns to his right arm. Because he was wearing shorts, he also had several cuts and small burns on his legs. He said there are also dime-size blisters on his left hand.
John sustained second-degree burns to both of his hands.
Their father, James J. Rechlitz, a retired battalion chief, told his sons he's proud of them, and they say they followed his footsteps to help people in need.
"There's no greater example than yesterday," Joel said. "We were in the right spot at the right time. A person needed our help. Because of our training, we had the ability and capability to perform that rescue. Any other firefighter in the same situation would have done the same. It's why we're all drawn to it - because you can help and make a difference."
