Dereck's Story

“Dereck, dressed only in boxer shorts, jumped first. Kim lowered each child, dressed only in pajamas, to Dereck, who put them one by one in their van. Kim jumped just as flames engulfed the bedroom, shattering her ankle and breaking her leg. As the family drove away, they saw their house consumed in flames.”

Dereck was Treated for Frostbite after a Fire Broke Out at Their Home

As Dereck and Kim Stockman and their three children slept during a minus 23-degree morning in January 2011, fire broke out on the main floor of their house in rural Sebeka.

Their son Earl, 4, who was sleeping on the main floor with his 3-year-old brother, George, awoke to see the living room engulfed in flames and smoke. He woke his brother and they raced upstairs to wake their parents.

Due to the blazing fire downstairs, they were forced to exit from a second-story bedroom window. 

Dereck, dressed only in boxer shorts, jumped first. Kim lowered each child, dressed only in pajamas, to Dereck, who put them one by one in their van. Kim jumped just as flames engulfed the bedroom, shattering her ankle and breaking her leg. As the family drove away, they saw their house consumed in flames.

“It only took a half hour before the whole house was gone,” Dereck said.

The family was treated at the Wadena Tri-County Hospital. Kim was transported by ambulance to St. Cloud Hospital for surgery and baby Gilbert, 2 months old, was airlifted to St. Cloud Hospital and treated for smoke inhalation.

“After we’d gotten to the neighbors, I felt the pain in my feet and noticed they were bleeding badly,” Dereck said.

He was referred to the CentraCare Wound Center in St. Cloud where Dereck was treated for second-degree frostbite. Every other day for two weeks, staff at the Wound Center cleaned and cut away the dead skin from Dereck’s frostbitten feet and gave him pain medication as needed.

“I was so impressed with the care I received,” he said. “They got me in right away and really knew what they were doing. I am thankful for the care I received and for making a full recovery.”