In late August, Heidi and Ronald Stamper were facing a potentially deadly situation in their Farmington Hills, Michigan home, but they had an unexpected hero: their little kitten, Thor. Despite his tiny size, Thor had a big voice, and he wasn’t afraid to use it to save his family.
The Stamper family experienced a power outage and decided to use a portable generator to keep their appliances running. Unfortunately, they made a mistake by closing the garage door while the generator was running. Without proper ventilation, dangerous carbon monoxide began to fill their home.
Carbon monoxide is a silent killer; it has no smell or sound, making it incredibly difficult to detect. The family, unaware of the gas seeping in, went to bed as usual that night.
Around 1:45 a.m., Heidi was startled awake by a strange, loud noise. To her surprise, it was their 4-month-old kitten, Thor, who was making a high-pitched screeching sound. Thor appeared to be very sick, so Heidi picked him up and carried him outside for some fresh air. The moment they stepped outside, Thor seemed to recover, which gave Heidi a sense that something was wrong. She opened a window to let fresh air in and then returned to bed, feeling uneasy but unsure of the danger they were in.
However, the gas continued to spread inside the house. Soon, Heidi began to feel its effects, losing consciousness.
“Half an hour later, the cat started screaming again,” Heidi remembered. “It woke me up, but this time, I had sweat through all my clothes. I wasn’t able to move. I felt really sick to my stomach.”
When Heidi couldn’t respond to Thor’s cries, the kitten took it upon himself to alert the rest of the family. Thor rushed to the children’s room and began screeching until 13-year-old Paige and 11-year-old Quinn realized something was terribly wrong. They found their mom unconscious on the floor and immediately started trying to revive her.
The family managed to get outside, but not before Ron also collapsed from the effects of the gas. The children called 911, and all four family members were rushed to the hospital for emergency treatment for severe carbon monoxide poisoning.
Thor’s actions didn’t go unnoticed. Authorities hailed the little kitten as a hero.
“Thor played a crucial role in saving the family of four,” said Farmington Hills Fire Chief Jon Unruh. “All four of them were suffering severe effects of carbon monoxide poisoning.”
The incident serves as a sobering reminder about the dangers of carbon monoxide and the importance of having proper detectors in the home. The police department hopes the Stamper family’s story encourages others to take preventive measures. The Stampers, who did not have carbon monoxide detectors before the incident, made sure to install them immediately after returning home from the hospital.
“This is a frightening example of how carbon monoxide can accumulate quickly and potentially be fatal,” Chief Unruh stated. “Fortunately, this incident had a positive ending, but we hope all families will learn from the Stampers and keep their generators outside.”
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Now back home and safe, the Stamper family is incredibly grateful for Thor’s bravery and quick thinking.
“Just the thought that I wouldn’t be here to see my kids, that’s really scary,” Heidi said. “If it wasn’t for Thor, we wouldn’t be here. He saved our lives.”
Thor the kitten may be small, but his actions had a huge impact. His quick response in a dangerous situation turned a potential tragedy into a story of survival, reminding everyone about the silent dangers of carbon monoxide and the importance of always being prepared.
