Firefighter burned fighting house fire

To know Chaise is to love Chaise. The huge dimples that adorn his face whenever he smiles are a tell-tale indicator that he is just one of "the good ones." Since he was just a little guy, he dreamt of becoming a fireman. But his life-long struggle with Autism made things even more difficult. He was a constant target of bullying throughout all of his school years, and nothing ever came easy to him. But that never stopped him from smiling, or working hard to achieve his goals. He is easily one of our community's biggest high-school sports supporters, and anywhere there is a ball game, you'll find Chaise in the stands rooting them on. He is, quite simply, an exceptional human being who cares deeply about God, his friends, family and community. But the odds were stacked against him when he began the process of trying to become a firefighter. He could have easily given up, but that's just not Chaise. He studied hard every day and failed more than he succeeded. But he kept putting one foot in front of the other and he achieved that dream when he became certified in the state of Ohio as a volunteer fireman. When there is a call that comes across his pager, Chaise will report for duty. Whether he's manning the radio or in on the action, he just wants to be a part of something bigger. He wants to know he's doing something to help. So when a call for a house fire came across the pager on Wednesday, April 9, Chaise did what he would normally do. He rushed out the door and responded to the call for help. Chaise was inside the burning structure on the first floor when the fire flashed and grew in intensity very quickly. He had no choice but to dive out a window to escape the flames. Unfortunately, in the process, he received second and third degree burns over portions of his body. Other firefighters responded to assist him as soon as he dove out, and he was taken to Parkview ER before he was transported to Indianapolis Burn Center, where he is today. He will be undergoing surgery on Monday. His wife, Olivia, has taken off work without pay so she can be at the hospital with Chaise. Family members are providing care for their two young boys while mom and dad are in the hospital. This family has already been through so much in their young lives when they lost their daughter at only three days old due to birth complications. She would have been five years old this month and the hurt from that loss is still with all of us every day. They just observed the anniversary of Emmy's death last week and are now dealing with this unexpected tragic turn. If you feel compelled to donate, please know that anything will be sincerely appreciated to help this family get through the coming weeks.