Tinley Park Honors Good Samaritan Kids

TINLEY PARK, IL — It's not every day someone will stop to help a person in need, but the Forst children didn't hesitate. Tinley Park officials took notice and honored them this week for their citizenship and character.

Dean,9, Drew,8, and Gwen, 5, were walking down the street to visit their cousins July 19 when they noticed their neighbor, Linda Knight, had fallen. They ran to her, noticed she was crying and asked her if she was ok, the children's mother, Robyn, said.

She wasn't. So the children ran five houses or so down the block to get their father to help. They came back to console her and mind the dog she was walking while they waited for an ambulance their father had called.

"I was proud of them," Robyn said. "At first, I was like 'of course they did.' They're helpful for anyone. I took it for granted, I guess."

"But I am glad they were able to know what to do in the situation and help."

Knight thanked them with a card and small reward.

But at Tuesday night's village board meeting, trustees passed a resolution honoring the trio for assisting a neighbor in distress.

"I truly appreciate their rescue efforts," Knight said at the meeting.

For the Forts siblings' part, they're a little shy.

But they're "excited that they got recognized for doing a good deed," Robyn said.