Shelby Carter had just turned 21 this past Sunday. It was the first birthday she was celebrating as a mother; her daughter, Keana, had been born just 12 days prior. Everyone who knew Carter could only imagine how thrilled she was.
One of Carter’s longtime family friends and fellow coworkers at a local café, Stacy Unhold, knew just how much Carter had longed to be a mother for the longest time. “[Carter] definitely dreamed of her baby and was very much looking forward to having her child,” Unhold said.
Carter had started babysitting around town when she was just a little girl. Since then, her love for children had been extremely evident. One of Carter’s classmates, Anna Steelman said that childcare was “natural” for Carter because she was such a protective person. “She loved every child she came in contact with and they loved her,” Steelman said.
“Her greatest moment was becoming a mom.”
But tragically, Carter’s time as a mother was incredibly short lived.
Around 10:30 a.m. on Monday, January 30, 2017, firefighters were called about a massive fire raging in the residential area of Wyoming, Illinois. A house fire had started in Carter’s home. She and her daughter were stuck inside.
Carter realized very quickly that she wouldn’t be able to save both her life and her daughter’s life, so she made what everyone is now calling “the ultimate sacrifice.”
She carefully strapped Keana into a car seat and then dropped Keana and the car seat out of the second story window.
When firefighters had finally beat the flames and got into the house, they found Carter’s body on the second floor, by the window. She died in the fire.
Keana was found in her car seat, on a pile of debris, outside the house. She, miraculously, suffered just a minor burn but escaped otherwise more serious injury.
Chief of the Wyoming-Speer Fire Protection District, Ed Foglesonger, said, “It’s just incredible that she was able to pull her thoughts together to save her baby.”
The fire was thick and severe, the smoke dense. Carter’s autopsy revealed that she’d died of carbon monoxide inhalation not long after she broke the second story window to save her daughter’s life.
Carter’s small town is still reeling from the news. The entire town is in shock and is doing their best to rally behind the family with love and moral support.
Carter had “never caused any trouble,” Untold said. She was “just a good girl, definitely a good girl.”
Steelman added, “[Carter] was very, very smart. I think people underestimated that about her because she was quiet and she wasn’t one to make herself the center of attention. She stayed back in the crowd and did her work and got stuff done on the [basketball] court and in the classroom.”
Although the town is feeling a massive loss from Carter’s death, no one is too surprised that she sacrificed her life to save her beloved daughter. “She’s a hero, and we’re all very proud of her.”
Doctors are relieved to report that Keana is recovering well from her injuries.
The Carter family has since set up a GoFundMe page to raise money for Carter’s funeral expenses, as well as purchase supplies to care for Keana. Please donate if you can.
Our hearts go out to anyone affected by this tragedy.
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