Boy Shows up at Woman's Door at Night with Baby Sister & Asked Her to Take Care of Them: 'My Mom Died'

A mom of two remained grateful to her five-year-old son, who had gone out looking for help following a seizure the woman suffered. Here is the touching story of the mother and child.

In a remarkable display of heroism, Salvatore Cicalese from Arizona shattered the stereotype that age determines one's heroic ability. In the inspiring tale, he demonstrated that regardless of age, the capacity to save another person's life knows no bounds.

The little boy was only five years old when he was celebrated as a hero for saving his mother's life. Not only did he pull that off, but he also looked after himself and his two-month-old baby sister.

A Night to Remember

One night, everything was going fine for Kaitlyn Cicalese and her family. The woman had put her little daughter to sleep and went to take a shower. Unfortunately, while having a bath, Kaitlyn suffered a seizure and fell to the floor.

The mom-of-two hit her head on the bathtub, immediately blacking out. Luckily for Kaitlyn, Salvatore was fully awake and heard the loud noise. He immediately went into the bathroom, only to see his mother on the floor with blood all over.

Salvatore thought his mother was dying and decided to look out for himself and his sister. So, he bundled the little girl in a blanket, opened the garage door, and proceeded to their next-door neighbor's house.

The neighbor, Jessica Penoyer, spoke to ABC 15 about the events of that night. The woman recalled little Salvatore showing up at her front door all by himself at night and the feeling of surprise she felt. She'd heard him wrong, thinking he said his dog died, further stating:

"He's standing there and holding something, and I thought it was a doll. He said no, my mom died in the shower. Can you take care of us?"

Jessica's next instinct was to call 911, who arrived and found Kaitlyn unconscious in the tub with the water still running. She was given immediate medical attention, which aided her full recovery. Nevertheless, the mother owed her life to her little boy.

Kaitlyn revealed she was under the faucet, and if Salvatore had not gotten help, she would have drowned. All the mother-of-two could remember was putting her baby to sleep, going to take a bath, and waking up in the hospital.

Coping with the Trauma

Although Kaitlyn fully recovered, Salvatore could not get over the trauma of that night. He would always ask his mother, "Are you going to have another seizure?" or "Are you going to die today?" to which she would reply in the negative.

Kaitlyn was emotional about how her son coped with the traumatic experience. However, she was proud of Salvatore for his strength and courage. The lucky parent also revealed how her son told his grandmother that he left with his baby sister to get assistance because he didn't want the two-month-old infant to see their mother dead.

Although the little boy didn't say much, he showed the media how he climbed a bar stool to open the garage door and get help. Salvatore confessed to falling on some shoes during the process, but he got right back up on that stool, and his bravery did not go unnoticed.

Rewarding Little Salvatore

The Rural Metro Fire Department honored Salvatore with a shirt, a patch, a helmet, and an honorary firefighter certificate. Fire Department spokesman Shawn Gilleland explained that the little boy would join the ranks of others who helped save Kaitlyn that day.

In addition, he stated that Kaitlyn and Salvatore's story was the perfect example of how parents ought to teach their children how to deal with emergencies. He encouraged parents to talk to them honestly, asking what they'd need to do and how to call 911.

Shawn also urged parents to ask their children to explain the proper uses for calling 911, how to get out of the house, and what to do if a fire starts. In Kaitlyn's case, little Salvatore acted on instinct since his family had never discussed the above.