N.D. first responder gets call to her own home where young son is badly burned

The call that every first responder dreads is to an address they know. Worst of all is when the call is for their own home.

That's the call Shelby Jankowski got this week for Enderlin, N.D., a community of 900 residents about an hour southwest of Fargo.

When she and other medical personnel arrived at the scene, they discovered Jankowski's 2-year-old son, Royce, with third-degree burns over 30% of his body from an unexplained mattress fire.

"Any time you hear a child, your adrenaline starts pumping a little bit more," said Tim Owen, a paramedic with First Medic Ambulance of Lisbon, N.D., who was with Jankowski on the call Tuesday afternoon. "And when it's an address you know, then the adrenaline pumps even more."

Owen and his regular partner were on duty when the call came to the station in Lisbon, about 20 miles southwest of Enderlin. Jankowski, who volunteers both in Lisbon and Enderlin, was there when it came in.

"Shelby was right at the door, saying, 'Hey, that's my address, that's my son,' " Owen said. There was no question about whether she'd come on the call, he said, recounting the tense 20-minute ambulance drive to Enderlin with siren blaring and lights flashing.

When they arrived, local responders had already gotten Royce out of the house and wrapped him in sterile bandages. Owen had to remove the bandages so he could assess the boy's condition.

"She was there, saying, 'It's OK, bubba, it's all right. Everything's going to be fine. Everything's OK, hang on, honey. We know you're hurting,' " Owen said.

"It's amazing how chill she was," Owen said. "She was a real rock star."

They drove Royce to CHI Lisbon Health hospital, with his mother riding in back with him and continuing to reassure the child. There, they had a stroke of luck: Dr. Thomas Matheson, an emergency physician, had worked at a major burn center earlier in his career.

He helped get Royce stabilized while arrangements were made to fly the child directly to the Twin Cities for treatment at Regions Hospital. His mother accompanied him on the flight.

A GoFundMe account has been set up to help pay for Royce's medical care.

"They all know Shelby at Enderlin," he said. "That is their friend and co-worker. For Alex, my partner, that was her second shift.

"For me, I had my own little moment where I had time to reflect and absorb [the experience]. And then it was right on to the next call."

John Reinan • 612-673-7402