Stranger Surprises Frankfort Special Needs Boy, 8, with Tickets to World Series

FRANKFORT, IL — Dominic Steinhauser's parents recently bought their young Cubs fan a "W" flag. He loved it so much, he wouldn't sleep without it. So they draped it over his bed that night. When he wakes in the morning, he instantly reaches for his iPad to check the score of the game that ran so late into the night, far past his bedtime.

As an 8-year-old with rare CHARGE syndrome that impacts his hearing, vision, eating and immune system, Dominic faces many challenges — but having an allegiance to the Cubs isn't one of them.

"He just loves the Cubs," his mom Deanna told Patch. His bedroom is half Cubs, half Blackhawks-themed. They're the last thing he thinks about when he goes to bed, and the first on his mind when he wakes.

"He just needs to know what's going on!"

The Steinhauser family can't often catch a break from Dominic's condition, which requires extensive care and can lead to frequent hospital stays—15 visits in the last 15 months. Their lives "revolve around his treatments, what we can do to keep up." But the little boy who faces big obstacles got quite the surprise Thursday when a very kind stranger stopped by to hand over tickets to a dream come true: seats to watch the Cubs play in the World Series at Wrigley Field.

Mike Maheras, partner at Phillips Chevrolet in Frankfort, had never met the family. But when he and business partner Curtis Pascarella decided to give away tickets to Friday night's game, Maheras' wife instantly thought of the Steinhauser bunch, whose story she had followed through social circles and social media. Maheras' son attends Chelsea School with Dominic, though they've never interacted.

"We just thought how nice it would be to give the tickets to someone local who could use a pick-me-up," Maheras said.

Deanna and her husband Bill initially turned down the tickets. Maheras offered two, but Dominic's medically fragile condition makes it difficult for only one parent to travel with him. One would need to drive, while the other tends to his medical needs.

"Then he came back and said, 'Well I'll just have to give you three!'" Steinhauser said of Maheras.

In addition to the tickets, he told them on Thursday that he had arranged passes for the family to walk on the field and watch batting practice. Friday morning, he called back to say he had actually secured not three, but four tickets, so their 10-year-old daughter could also attend.

Steinhauser was stunned to tears in the parking lot of her daughter's school.

"We always like to see the good in people, and when we’re reminded and it’s brought to the forefront, to be able to give Dominic something he just so deserves, it’s just awesome," she said.

She shared photos of the ticket drop-off on Dominic's social media fanpage, and watched as the comments rolled in. Then she began to notice something.

"I couldn’t believe how many people commented on how he (Maheras) is the best boss ever, and that they’re proud to work for him," she said. "In this day and age, that says a lot about who he is."

Maheras is quick to dodge the compliments, mostly saying he's just thrilled Dominic is so excited.

"I got a lot of comments about how much money we could have gotten for those tickets," he told Patch. "But you know what? Money can’t buy happiness.

"I didn’t do this for me. This was more a day for Dominic."

Though often plagued by illness brought on by a condition that affects one in 10,000 children, Dominic strives to live a mostly normal life.

"He's the strongest, happiest, most easy-going kid anyone will ever meet," Steinhauser said.

Still, the setbacks can be discouraging.

"He fights more battles in a week than most people will fight in a lifetime," she said, "so to see this happen for him is more than I can put into words."

You can follow Dominic's story on his Facebook page, and find out how you can support research and funding for CHARGE Syndrome.

Main photo courtesy of Deanna Steinhauser: Michael Maheras and Dominic Steinhauser