Ask any parent to describe their biggest nightmare and the answer is almost always the same: “losing a child.” It’s nearly impossible for anyone with kids to conceive of having to move forward in life knowing such a tragedy had taken place. For Will and Megan Blackwelder, the unthinkable happened on July 10th, 2023.
It was on this day that their 19 month old daughter, Ally Kate, drowned in their backyard swimming pool. As I sat down to write this article, I found myself getting emotional just writing those words.
Will and Megan grew up and lived in Fort Mill for most of their lives. Will is a Tega Cay Firefighter, he’s been with the department since 2012. Megan is a third grade teacher. She hails from a family of original settlers to the area, a pretty rare occurrence these days. When you include Ally, they have 4 children: Grady (7), Ella (6), Benjamin (3) and Ally (19 months).
Prior to the accident, the couple sold their house in Fort Mill and moved to Edgemoor, an unincorporated area of Chester County. Will was able to do most of the work on the five acre property himself, including the sweat equity needed to put a swimming pool in the backyard.
It Only Takes 5 Minutes
As a firefighter, Will has learned to compartmentalize his emotions. When recalling how he found out that his daughter had died, he mentioned that Megan initially thought a baby doll had fallen in the pool. His son Benjamin, a toddler himself, opened the gate for him and his sister and climbed in the covered pool with her. It’s a miracle he didn’t drown as well.
The accident took no more than 5 minutes.
Tega Cay Fire Chief Glyn Hasty happened to be at the gas station at the same time Will was getting gas to hurry home. Will was not fully aware of what happened and Chief Hasty offered to drive. Once they arrived, a yard filled with support staff from the sheriff’s office, SLED, DSS and others were waiting for them. Will missed seeing Ally Kate, she had recently been airlifted to the hospital via helicopter.
Although the hospital support staff did all they could, Ally Kate had no sign of brain function by the second of three standard neurological checks. The couple decided to remove her from life support, “we felt that was right for her, we called it that night at 8pm,” said Will.
We all handle grief differently. For Will, he faces it head on. Several months after Ally Kate’s death, Will’s fire fighter mentality kicked in. He inquired about an Infant Swimming Resource (ISR) class Benjamin could take that would provide him with the skills and training necessary to avoid a future accident. The cost of the class was $1,000, a hefty bill for a household living on a firefighter and teacher salary.
Celebrating the Life of Ally Kate
Rather than give up, Will saw a need to bridge the gap and made a decision to provide free CPR in order to help save future lives. Megan took the idea even further. Instead of focusing on CPR, they could start a non-profit and potentially provide multiple services. Ally Kate Incorporated (https://www.allykateinc.org/) was born.
According to the site, “We are focused on sharing our story and touching the lives of as many people as possible. We do this at no cost because we care about community preparedness and preventing tragedy from becoming another family’s reality.”
Services offered include: Heartsaver (Adult) CPR, Pediatric CPR, First Aid Kit Class Instruction, and Infant Swimming Resource (ISR) classes (you may recall this same class would’ve cost the couple $1K when they made their initial inquiry).
When I was speaking with Will, I asked him how he was coping. He talked about the non-profit and work being done in memory of his daughter, “it helps to say her name everyday.”
Ally Kate may no longer be with us, but her name lives on.
Because of the unselfish efforts of her parents, multiple kids will live on as well.
How You Can Help
As a way to increase awareness and raise funds to support their efforts, the first Daddy/Daughter Sweetheart Dance is being held at the Glennon Center in Tega Cay on Saturday, February 10th. The event is from 5-8pm and costs $75 for one daddy/daughter with an additional $25 per daughter. Your ticket includes dinner, dancing and access to a photo booth allowing you to relive cherished memories.
Tickets can be purchased prior to the event @ https://www.allykateinc.org/or visit their Facebook page (Ally Kate Inc) for more details.
Separate donations can also be made online.
