A sad note about a boy who made a difference.
Donald Houser-Richerme risked his life to save a playmate from drowning.
On June 7, Donny and his 4-year-old brother were exploring their Chicago Ridge apartment complex with Karah Moran, a 5-year-old neighbor. According to witnesses, the boys moved into the complex last month and Karah was showing them around.
The trio noticed the door to the pool area was unlocked and went inside. They were investigating the half-empty pool when Karah fell into the water.
Despite the fact that he couldn’t swim, Donny didn’t even hesitate a moment to take off his clothes. He just jumped into the murky, debris-filled rainwater to save her. But once he got Karah to the ladder, Donny started to drown. Karah immediately ran to a nearby adult, who called 9-1-1. Firefighters arrived a few minutes later, pulled the unconscious boy out of the water and transported him to the hospital.
After spending a week in critical condition, Donny died on June 14. He was six years old.
